By Canadian Press

Austrian official says the suspect in the fatal stabbing attack had an ‘Islamic terror motive’

Feb 16, 2025 | 3:53 AM

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian authorities say they have classified the deadly stabbing attack in a southern city as an “Islamic terror incident.”

The suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian man, stabbed six passersby in broad daylight in Villach on Saturday, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding five others. He was arrested after the attack.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Sunday he felt “anger about an Islamist attacker who indiscriminately stabbed innocent people here in this city.”

This marks the second deadly jihadi attack in Austria in recent years. In November 2020, a man who had previously attempted to join the Islamic State group carried out a rampage in Vienna, armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest, killing four people before being fatally shot by police.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

VIENNA (AP) — The city of Villach in southern Austria is in shock after a man stabbed six passersby in broad daylight, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding five others, as police tried to establish a motive that put migration in the spotlight.

Residents began placing candles at the site of the attack in the city of about 60,000 inhabitants. A group of young people, who knew the boy who died in Saturday’s attack, gathered at the crime scene on Sunday morning to mourn and tearfully light candles, local media reported.

The 23-year-old suspect, who was detained shortly after the stabbing, is a Syrian with a residence permit in Austria. A 42-year-old man, also a Syrian working for a food delivery company, witnessed the attack from his car. He drove toward the suspect and helped to prevent the situation from escalating, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.

Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen called the attack “horrific.”

“No words can undo the suffering, the horror, the fear. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased victim and the injured,” he posted on X.

The Free Syrian Community of Austria issued a statement on Facebook distancing itself from the attack and expressing its deepest condolences to the victims’ families. “We all had to flee Syria, our home country, because we were no longer safe there — no one left their country voluntarily. We are grateful to have found asylum and protection in Austria,” the association said.

“Finally, we would like to emphasize: Anyone who causes strife and disturbs the peace of society does not represent the Syrians who have sought and received protection here,” the statement concluded.

Dionisio said that a motive for the attack was not immediately known and police were investigating the suspect’s background.

Carnival procession canceled as police gather evidence

Villach, a popular tourist destination near the borders of Italy and Slovenia, is known for its laid-back atmosphere, which blends Mediterranean and Alpine traditions. The city hosts annual carnival processions in March and an event on Saturday was canceled in the wake of the attack.

The Austrian Ministry of Interior activated a platform for witnesses to upload videos or photos related to the attack. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is expected in Villach on Sunday for a press conference. Local authorities said a crisis response team will be available to support pupils when schools open on Monday.

The victims were all men, with two seriously wounded and two sustaining minor injuries, police said. Later Saturday, police said a fifth person was also injured.

Peter Kaiser, the governor of the province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old.

“This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences. I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values,” he said.

Calls to strengthen migration rules

Far-right leader Herbert Kickl wrote on X that he is “appalled by the horrific act in Villach” and called for a rigorous crackdown on asylum.

“At the same time, I am angry — angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, rapes, gang wars and other capital crimes to become the order of the day in Austria. This is a first-class failure of the system, for which a young man in Villach has now had to pay with his life,” Kickl said.

“From Austria to the EU — the wrong rules are in force everywhere. Nobody is allowed to challenge them, everything is declared sacrosanct,” he said, adding that his party had outlined what he viewed as necessary changes to immigration laws in its election platform.

Conservative party leader Christian Stocker said on X that the attacker “must be brought to justice and be punished with the full force of the law.”

“We all want to live in a safe Austria, adding that this means political measures need to be taken to avoid such acts of horror in the future,” he said.

The leader of the Social Democrats, Andreas Babler, said, “Crimes like this one simply should not happen in our society.”

Stephanie Liechtenstein, The Associated Press