Trial starts for Swift Vienna concert terror plot suspect

In Wiener Neustadt, Austria, the trial began Tuesday for a 21-year-old Austrian man identified only as Beran A. who stands accused of plotting a terrorist attack on one of Taylor Swift's concerts at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium in August 2024. Austrian authorities foiled the plot, but canceled the singer's three scheduled performances as a precaution.

Prosecutors charge Beran A. with terrorism-related offenses and membership in a terrorist organization, offenses that could result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Authorities allege he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, networked with its members, and planned to target crowds gathered outside the stadium, where up to 30,000 people assembled each night alongside 65,000 inside the venue. The attack was intended to use knives or homemade explosives to kill as many people as possible, according to officials.

A raid on the suspect's apartment on August 7, 2024, one day before the first concert, uncovered bomb-making materials. United States intelligence contributed to the operation that thwarted the plan, officials said. Beran A. also attempted to illegally purchase weapons in the days leading up to the shows,...