Chilling picture of Taylor Swift ISIS suspect

An image has emerged of the teen accused of planning a massacre at a Taylor Swift concert showing him holding up so-called zombie knives.

A suspected ISIS-inspired terrorist who plotted a terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert has been pictured posing with zombie knives.

The 19-year-old, named as Beran A, admitted to planning to mow down fans outside the stadium in Vienna and launch an attack with knives, machetes and a “dirty bomb”, officials said.

Police foiled the terror plot the day before Swift’s first concert of the week after US intelligence was passed to authorities in the European Union and Austria, reported The Sun.

Austrian Beran A had allegedly planned to carry out an attack at the sold-out gig on Thursday or Friday – with a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old acting as his accomplices.

It’s understood he planned to drive a car into some of the 20,000 strong crowd who were due to gather outside Vienna’s huge Ernst Happel Stadium during the concert.

Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria, where an attack allegedly was due to take place. (Photo by Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images)

On Thursday, the 19-year-old confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible” outside the venue, Austrian security officials said.

He also planned to kill himself in the attack, officials added.

The teen suspect lived in a newly-built semi-terraced house in Ternitz, south of Vienna.

Officials in hazmat suits have been pictured outside his home in the town.

Neighbours told local media that he used to be a “harmless boy next door” and that he was born in Austria before going to school locally.

They claimed he had pledged allegiance to ISIS early in July, which prompted a change in his personality and saw him grow a long beard.

Local Mara T, who said she saw Beran A on Tuesday, told Austrian outlet Kurier: “He looked like how you would imagine a sleeper agent for a terrorist cell”.

Taylor Swift has cancelled her Austrian performances. Picture: AFP

Zombie knife

A picture has now emerged of Beran A holding up two huge zombie knives with his arms crossed over.

Zombie knives are weapons with a cutting edge, a serrated edge and usually some kind of inscription glorifying violence. While they were designed to be ornate that have also been used in criminal acts.

Beran A had until recently been doing an apprenticeship as a retail salesman in a stainless steel plant in Ternitz where his father worked.

He would have had access to the plant’s laboratory, which stored various chemicals.

Security officials said the suspect recently changed his appearance and had been reading and sharing Islamist propaganda online.

A screen displays a photo of a man arrested in connection with an Islamist attack plot that caused the cancellation of the Vienna leg of a tour by American megastar Taylor Swift. Picture: AFP

The chilling picture of the Taylor Swift ISIS suspect. Picture: X.

Austria’s elite Cobra police helped with the arrests on Wednesday – storming the apartment of the 19-year-old in Ternitz after cutting off electricity and gas supplies.

During the search of his home, authorities found various substances and tools used for building bombs.

They also found ISIS propaganda, 21,000 euros ($35,000) in counterfeit money, machetes, knives and blank ammunition.

American intelligence had discovered Beran A pledged support to ISIS-K, an offshoot of the death cult, on Telegram in early July.

Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of the Austrian Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said: “He was clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels.”

Franz Ruf, Austria’s Director General for Public Security, said: “During a raid of his home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators found chemical substances and technical devices that indicated concrete preparatory acts”.

Fans of US megastar Taylor Swift, so-called "Swifties", gather in the centre in Vienna, Austria, after her three scheduled concerts were cancelled. Picture: AFP

Teen accomplices

After Beran A’s arrest in the early hours of Wednesday, two other teens were arrested.

It’s understood the 19-year-old was the mastermind behind the plot – with the two youngsters acting as accomplices.

A 17-year-old Austrian national – who has Turkish-Croatian roots – had been acting conspicuously near Happel Stadium, officials said.

He had been given a job with a company working at the stadium just a few days ago.

The third and final suspect – a 15-year-old boy – is an Austrian national with Turkish heritage, officials said.

Cops are not looking for anyone else in connection with the alleged plot.

Investigators believe the attack was inspired by ISIS but not directed by the group.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna. Picture: Getty

Concert organisers said they had “no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows” lined up for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Some 65,000 fans were expected at each of Swift’s shows this week with another 20,000 gathering outside the stadium.

Mr Ruf said of the attack yesterday: “A concrete threat has been averted”.

“The suspected perpetrator was focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. Preparatory actions were detected.”

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the cancelled shows are a “bitter disappointment” but added that a “tragedy [had been] prevented”.

The Sun revealed yesterday that Taylor Swift plans to keep on working and finish the tour after the sick plot was foiled on Tuesday.

This article appeared on The Sun and is reproduced with permission.