Vienna shooting: what we know so far about the
attack
At least three civilians and one attacker were killed
and about 15 injured in the attack near the Stadttempel synagogue in the
Austrian capital
Ben Doherty
@bendohertycorro
Mon 2 Nov
2020 23.28 GMTLast modified on Tue 3 Nov 2020 06.34 GMT
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/03/vienna-shooting-what-we-know-so-far-about-the-attack
Heavily
armed police stand outside the Vienna State Opera amid a terrorist attack in
the city
Heavily armed police stand outside the Vienna State
Opera amid a terrorist attack in the Austrian capital. Photograph: Michael
Gruber/Getty Images
Four people
have died in the Vienna attacks on Monday night, including two male civilians
and one female. One attacker was also killed.
Austria’s
interior minister, Karl Nehammer, described the attacker as an “Islamist
terrorist”.
Police said
they were not certain how many attackers were involved. “At the moment we think
there’s more, we’re investigating,” Vienna police chief Gerhard Pürstl said.
“It’s difficult to say for sure if it was one or several attackers. Lots of
witnesses are injured, traumatised, and we have to analyse the data. This will
take some time… at this stage there is no definite answer.”
Police are
examining more than 20,000 pieces of video footage uploaded to them by members
of the public to determine how many gunmen were involved and the exact course
of events.
Earlier,
authorities had said at least one gunman remained on the run at 1am Vienna
time. Nehammer had warned that the assailants were “heavily armed and
dangerous” and urged the public to stay indoors until the all-clear was given.
Nehammer told broadcaster ORF: “We have brought several special forces units
together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not
limiting it to an area of Vienna because these are mobile perpetrators.”
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 were expected to
rise.
The dead
attacker was shot by police outside St Rupert’s Church, carrying an assault
rifle, handguns and ammunition. His body was also found with an explosives
vest. Later police said on Twitter that the explosives vest was fake.
The
assaults occurred at six locations close to Seitenstettengasse in the heart of
the Austrian capital.
The Austrian
chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, described the assaults as a “definitely” terror
attack that had been “very professionally” planned. Kurz has called the
military onto the streets of Vienna. “We are currently going through difficult
times in our republic. I would like to thank all the emergency services who
risk their lives, especially today for our safety. Our police will take
decisive action against the perpetrators of this hideous terrorist attack,”
Kurz said.
Police have
searched the home of the attacker. .
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
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