Austria stabbing latest: Suspect detained after boy, 14, dies in Villach knife attack and five wounded

A 14-year-old boy has died and four other people injured in a knife attack in southern Austria at 4pm local time on Saturday, 15 February.

A 23-year-old man has been detained by police in the city of Villach, where the attack took place.

Police confirmed the man detained is a Syrian national with legal residence in Austria.

Whether the attacker knew any of the victims remained unclear, Rainer Dionisio, a spokesperson for the police in the southern state of Carinthia, said.

Conservative party leader Christian Stocker said on the X social media platform that the attacker “must be brought to justice and be punished with the full force of the law.”

“We all want to live in a safe Austria, adding that this means political measures need to be taken to “avoid such acts of horror in the future,” he said.

Five people were stabbed in the attack – with one 14-year-old boy having been killed.

The victims were all men aged between 14 and and 32.

Two were seriously injured in the attack, with the other two having sustained minor injuries

Villach is a city in southern Austria in the state of Carinthia.

It is known for its carnival and is in an area that is a tourist hotspot in the summer as it includes one of Austria’s most famous lakes but otherwise attracts little attention.

“I have been in the (Carinthian police) press service for 20 years and cannot recall such an act,” Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told national broadcaster ORF.

Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was expected in Villach on Sunday morning, according to Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.

It is unclear whether this visit is still going ahead.

Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old victim.

“This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences.

“I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values.”

Authorities said the suspect – a 23-year-old Syrian national with legal residence in Austria – has been detained by police after the attack in the city of Villach on Saturday.

Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said a motive was not immediately known and that police were investigating the alleged attacker’s personal background.

“We have to wait until we get secure information,” he said.

Police said it wasn’t clear whether the suspect acted on his own and are continuing to search for potential further suspects.

A 42-year old man who works for a food delivery company, witnessed the incident from his car.

He drove toward the suspect to stop the attack from escalating, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.

“This meant that we were able to arrest [the suspect] immediately,” he said.