Syrian man kills teen, injures 4 in Austria
What's the story
A 23-year-old Syrian man, who legally resides in Austria, went on a knife rampage, attacking five people in Villach on Saturday.
The attack left a 14-year-old boy dead and four others injured. Two of the injured victims are currently in serious condition in the hospital.
The police arrested the attacker at the scene and are probing if he acted alone or had accomplices.
Heroic intervention
Delivery worker intervenes in attack, police investigate
A 42-year-old food delivery worker charged his car into the assailant, intervening during the attack and preventing further harm.
The police are now investigating if this was a lone act or if there were any accomplices involved.
Carinthia's governor Peter Kaiser expressed condolences to the victim's family and emphasized adherence to Austrian laws and values. He promised severe consequences for such crimes.
Political fallout
Far-right party criticizes asylum policies post-attack
The far-right Freedom Party also criticized Austria's asylum policies in the wake of the attack.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was scheduled to visit Villach on Sunday morning.
The attack comes after another violent incident in Munich where an Afghan national drove into a crowd, killing two.
Such attacks are rare in Austria; the last major incident was a jihadist shooting rampage in Vienna in 2020 that killed four.
Asylum statistics
Austria's asylum applications decrease, Syria tops list
Austria has witnessed a decline in asylum applications from over 100,000 in 2022 to around 59,000 in 2023.
Syrian nationals comprise the largest group of asylum seekers, followed by Afghans.
In December, Austria halted decisions on Syrian asylum claims amid political instability after Bashar Assad's fall.
Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl said, "We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and cannot continue to import conditions like those in Villach."