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Vienna terrorist attack: three dead, including one suspect, in Austria shootings – live updates Vienna terrorist attack: four dead, including one suspect, in Austria shootings – live updates
(32 minutes later)
Authorities say at least two civilians died and at least one gunman is on the run after shootings across six locations Authorities say three civilians have died and at least one gunman is on the run after shootings across six locations
In that press conference which ended a moment ago Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said that the known attacker was an Islamic State sympathiser.
He was armed with an explosive belt which tuned out to be fake and carried a bag of ammunition. He was killed by police.
Nehammer also repeated calls for the public to stay at home on Tuesday.
Death toll climbs to four. Vienna’s police chief, Franz Ruf, confirmed that a third civilian had died in the attacks, bringing the toll to two men and one woman. One attacker, a man, has also been killed.
Authorities were unable to confirm whether the attack was antisemitic, but said that the attack was definitely carried out by a “radicalised person”. Earlier in the press conference, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said, “we have experienced an attack from an Islamist terrorist.”
There was at least one known attacker. He was killed by police. but authorities suspect there were more. The attacker wore an explosive belt and carried a bag of ammunition.
The home of the known attacker has been searched. Authorities were unable to reveal what was discovered.
The police have been sent more than 20,000 videos and are searching the content.
Nehammer said, “Austria is a democracy, shaped by free speech, tolerance in living together,” and that “The attack yesterday is an attack of these values and an inadequate attempt to divide us. We will not stand for this. There will be consequences.”
Florian Klenk, the editor of Austrian news magazine Falter has tweeted that, “Nehammer did everything right in the [press conference]. Emphasize the unity of the country, fundamental rights and democratic principles. No escalation, but calm, empathic words that make it clear to the terrorists that Vienna cannot be divided. Hopefully this rhetoric stays the same.”
Many thanks to my colleague Svetlana Stankovic (Guardian Australia’s deputy opinion editor) for translating that press conference in record time. I’ll have a summary up shortly.
Vienna’s police force has confirmed that three civilians and one attacker have died.
Two of the civilians were male and one was female. The attacker was male. This means the death toll has risen by one since we were last updated.
Ruf and Nehammer are asked whether the attack was definitely antisemitic.
“It is clear that it is a radicalised person, further we can’t say anything as we’re still investigating,” they respond.
Ruf and Nehammer are unable to confirm what was found at the home of the attacker or how hold he was, they say.
The authorities at the press conference are asked whether it is possible there was just one attacker. “At the moment we think there are more, we’re investigating,” Ruf responds.
Another person – I’m afraid I didn’t catch who – adds later, “It’s difficult to say for sure if it was one or several attackers. Lots of witnesses are injured, traumatised. We have to analyse data, have to ask for your understanding that this will take some time. At this stage there is no definite answer.”
Ruf confirms that further police personnel will be supplied to Vienna from other parts of the country.
Ruf adds, “This has showed how important routine police work is. It made sure that the attacker was found quickly. There was a minimal time of chaos and all public areaes could be coordinated.”
“We have started professional investigations we’ll focus on making sure people in Vienna will feel secure again. Thank you to police and all partners who have worked with us in this difficult hours.”
Vienna’s Director General for Public Security Franz Ruf is speaking now. He says, “We have worked intensely on identifying the attacker.”Vienna’s Director General for Public Security Franz Ruf is speaking now. He says, “We have worked intensely on identifying the attacker.”
“The home of the violent attacker was searched. 20,000 video were uploaded and given to us, and we have already searched 20% of this content.” (a note that we didn’t quite catch that percentage figure, but we thing it was 20%).“The home of the violent attacker was searched. 20,000 video were uploaded and given to us, and we have already searched 20% of this content.” (a note that we didn’t quite catch that percentage figure, but we thing it was 20%).
Nehammer: “Terror and violence definitely have no place in our society. We won’t let our freedom be taken away from us.”Nehammer: “Terror and violence definitely have no place in our society. We won’t let our freedom be taken away from us.”
Nehammer has confirmed that the attacker who was killed was “heavily armed with an explosive belt, and were his sympathisers”.Nehammer has confirmed that the attacker who was killed was “heavily armed with an explosive belt, and were his sympathisers”.
“We have increased checks in public areas.”“We have increased checks in public areas.”
“The police have done an outstanding job,” he says. “Even those who were on holidays – a big thank you to them and to other countries for their assistance.”“The police have done an outstanding job,” he says. “Even those who were on holidays – a big thank you to them and to other countries for their assistance.”
“There are investigations currently that I can’t reveal at the moment,” says Nehammer.
“For people in Vienna: if possible, stay home. There’s no school today, so if you can leave your child at home today, you can do so.”
“Austria is a democracy, shaped by free speech, tolerance in living together,” says Nehammer.
“The attack yesterday is an attack of these values and an inadequate attempt to divide us. We will not stand for this. There will be consequences,” he says.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer is speaking now:
“My thoughts in these difficult hours are with the victims and the relatives. We think of the dead and injured, including one officer on duty,” he says.
“We have experienced an attack from an Islamist terrorist.”
You can watch the update from the Vienna Police at the link below – we will bring you the key points in English.
As we wait for the police press conference to begin – it is scheduled to start in 5 minutes, here is how some foreigners currently living in Vienna experienced the attacks.
Louis Glen is from the UK but has recently moved to Vienna to study. He wrote earlier:
Comhall Fanning is Irish, and this is his second year living in Vienna. He works as an English Language Assistant:
Here is our full report on how the attacks unfolded last night:
Ben Doherty and Helen Sullivan:
Monday night in Vienna was supposed to be a last chance at freedom.
The weather was mild, and as the hours ticked down before a nationwide coronavirus curfew largely shut down the city for a month, the bars and restaurants of the “Bermuda triangle” – a network of narrow, fashionable lanes in the old city’s 1st district – were busy.
Diners and drinkers sat at tables outside, enjoying a last moment of revelry before another pandemic lockdown amid the full blast of winter.
Without warning, at 8pm on Seitenstettengasse street, a winding cobbled boulevard a block back from the Danube Canal, the shooting started:
US president Donald Trump has tweeted about the attack, calling it “evil” and a “vile act of terrorism.”
“The US stands with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists,” Trump wrote
A reminder that you can get in touch with me directly via email on helen.sullivan@theguardian.com or Twitter @helenrsullivan.
A sincere thank you to those who have written to us already. We hope to have more updates from people who are currently in Vienna as the city wakes up. It is currently nearly 5.30 am. The police are due to hold a press conference at 6am.
Three people have died in the Vienna attacks on Monday night, including two civilians and one attacker.
At least one gunman remained on the run at 1am Vienna time, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said. He warned the assailants were “heavily armed and dangerous” and urged the public to stay indoors until the all-clear was given.
15 people were injured and taken to hospital after the attack that began shortly after 8pm local time on Monday. One of the injured is thought to be a policeman. Seven of the injured were in a serious condition, Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig, said.
The attacks began with volleys of gunfire and the injury and death tolls are expected to rise.
The dead attacker is believed to have been shot outside St Rupert’s Church. Some early reports suggested he wearing an explosive belt, but police have not confirmed this.
The assaults, by an unknown number of shooters carrying long firearms, occurred at six locations close to Seitenstettengasse in the heart of the Austrian capital.
The Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, described the assaults as “definitely” being a terror attack. He added that it had been “very professionally” planned. Kurz has called the military onto the streets of Vienna.
Police and security authorities have asked people not to share videos and images on social media of the attacks. Authorities have said is hampering attempts to neutralise the offenders.
Police have told residents to keep away from the centre of Vienna.
Early reports suggested the nearby Stadttempel synagogue could have been the target of the attack. But Oskar Deutsch, president of Vienna’s Jewish community, said the synagogue on Seitenstettengasse was closed at the time of the attack. He told the Kurier newspaper it was “unclear” if it was a target.
The attack occurred on the last night before a new coronavirus lockdown was due to come into force in the city.
Schools will be closed in Vienna on Tuesday.
EU and other world leaders have expressed their solidarity with the Austrian people.