Austria: Mistakes made in dealing with Vienna attacker

Intelligence officials in Slovakia told their Austrian counterparts in July that the man who fatally shot four people in a terror attack in Vienna had tried to buy ammunition there, and mistakes were apparently made in dealing with that information, Austrian authorities said on Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Kujtim Fejzulai, had a previous conviction for trying to join the Islamic State group in Syria and had been given early release in December.

In addition to killing the two men and two women he also wounded more than 20 people in a nine-minute attack before he was killed by police on Monday night.

Bars and cafes were crowded with people enjoying the warm weather and a last evening out before the establishments were being forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions.

Austrian officials say that Fejzulai, a dual citizen of Austria and North Macedonia, hoodwinked the justice system's deradicalization program after his release.

And Karl Nehammer, Austrian interior minister said on Wednesday that other things appeared to have gone wrong.

Slovak intelligence informed Austria that Fejzulai was trying to buy ammunition, and “something apparently went wrong with the communication in the next steps,” Nehammer said.

He added that he would propose that an independent panel be set up to examine “where things happened that shouldn't have happened.”

In neighboring Slovakia, police said they received information during the summer about “suspected persons from Austria” trying to buy ammunition.