Syrian man kills teen and injures four in Austria, witness drives to stop attack

A Syrian man, aged 23 and legally residing in Austria, attacked five people with a knife in the southern city of Villach on Saturday, according to police. The assault resulted in the death of a 14-year-old and left four others with injuries.
Law enforcement apprehended the attacker at the scene.
The authorities apprehended a Syrian national with legal Austrian residency in Villach, the location of the incident. The attack resulted in four male casualties, with two sustaining severe injuries and two others receiving minor wounds.
The police are still investigating the attacker’s background, with spokesperson Rainer Dionisio stating that the motive remains unclear. A 42-year-old food delivery worker witnessed the event from his vehicle and intervened to prevent further escalation, AP News Agency reported.
Carinthia’s governor, Peter Kaiser, offered sympathies to the 14-year-old victim’s family. He emphasised that residents must adhere to Austrian laws and values, promising severe consequences for the crime.
The far-right Freedom Party representative, Erwin Angerer, criticised the nation’s asylum policies. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was scheduled to visit Villach on Sunday morning.
The authorities continue to investigate whether the perpetrator acted independently and are searching for possible accomplices. The relationship between the attacker and victims remains unknown.
Official figures from the Austrian Ministry of Interior show 24,941 foreign asylum applications in 2024. Syrian nationals constitute the largest group, followed by Afghans. Asylum applications have notably decreased from over 100,000 in 2022 to approximately 59,000 in 2023.
In December, Austria, along with other European nations, halted Syrian asylum claim decisions due to political uncertainty in Syria following Bashar Assad’s fall.