The attacker, who ravaged the centre of Vienna yesterday, had previously been under scrutiny from the counter-terrorism security service. In 2019, he was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison after being prevented to leave for Syria, where he would have joined Islamic State fighters. Unfortunately, he was released from prison early. Prior to the attack, he had posted a photo on his Instagram profile of himself posing with the weapon he later used on the killing spree.
The center of Vienna was quite crowded last night, as it was the last evening before the implementation of the measure restricting movement. At eight o’clock, the attacker began his shooting march, and his accomplices were allegedly at several other locations around Vienna at the same time. A source close to the Interior Ministry told the Kronen Zeitung that the alleged perpetrator and terrorist was 20-year-old Fejzulai Kujtim, a citizen of both Austria and Northern Macedonia. Already in April 2019, he was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison for a criminal act of terrorism. He intended to travel to Syria and join Islamic State fighters.
Kujtim Fejzulai, who is believed to have ancestors of Albanian origin, was released on parole in December 2019, fourteen months early. Due to his youth, he was granted certain privileges at the trial. If he had not been released early, he would still be in prison today, and the terrorist attack in Vienna might not occurred. During his shooting march, he was armed with a pistol, an automatic rifle and a machete. He was also wearing an imitation of an explosive belt.
A police unit, according to Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, shot the attacker near St. Rupert’s Church, nine minutes after the start of his deadly march in which he killed four people. One of the victims was a waitress in one of the surrounding bars, another woman died in hospital from gunshot wounds and two male victims were found at two different locations. A police officer was also seriously injured, seven people in critical condition were taken to hospital and about ten others were wounded. The media reported that two younger men, of Turkish origin, saved a police officer’s life.
Terrorists are still present on social networks
The German newspaper Bild reported that the attacker posted a photo of himself on Instagram yesterday, in which he posed with a weapon that he later used during his march. He also allegedly sent his friends footage of the 2015 attack, when terrorists attacked the editorial office of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which was also, at the time, with its cartoons, the cause of Islamic terrorist attacks. Police said they were of the opinion that Kujtim was incapable of carrying out an terrorist attack. One of the attackers is allegedly still on the run, and stricter control has been announced by the neighbouring countries, where he could flee to. The Austrian government declared three days of mourning after yesterday’s terrorist attack, and at noon they paid tribute to the victims with a minute of silence.