Boy, 14, killed and five injured after Syrian asylum seeker goes on knife rampage in Austrian town
15 February 2025, 18:48 | Updated: 16 February 2025, 07:01
A 14-year-old boy has died and five other people have been injured in a stabbing attack in southern Austria.
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According to officials, a 23-year-old male suspect has been arrested.
Police say the suspect was a Syrian citizen, who was entitled to stay in Austria.
Officers responded to the attack around 4pm on Saturday afternoon in the main square of the town of Villach.
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A large-scale search has begun in the city, as it is unclear if the suspect was a lone perpetrator.
All of the injured are in intensive care.
A witness, 42, a food delivery driver, said they heard the crime from their car and reportedly drove into the knife attacker to stop them.
Police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told local broadcaster ORF-Kärnten that the man "indiscriminately attacked several passers-by with the knife".
He added: "We can't rule anything out. We'll shed light on the circumstances and try to get urgent information to come up with a possible motive.
"At the moment, one can only speculate, and we as police are not allowed to do that. That's why we have to wait until we have secured information.”
Austrian State Office for State Protection and the Fight Against Extremism took over the investigation in collaboration with the State Criminal Police Office.
Candles have been lit near a police barrier near the main square in the city centre.
Carinthia governor Peter Kaiser expressed his sympathy for the families affected, and said: "This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences."
Reacting to what happened, the far-right Freedom Party said: "We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and cannot continue to import conditions like those in Villach".
