Austrian law enforcement authorities state that a Syrian refugee suspected of killing a teenager and injuring several people rapidly became radicalized through the popular app TikTok.
According to Reuters, citing prosecution data, 23-year-old Ahmad G. carried out an attack in the city of Villach, killing a teenager and injuring five others. Investigators report that he became radicalized within three months, not due to direct influence from other individuals but solely through online content.
The suspect himself admitted that he watched videos and then decided to join the so-called Islamic State. A militant flag was found in his apartment, but he had not previously attracted the attention of Austrian authorities.
It is known that Ahmad G. arrived in Austria in 2019 and later attempted to enter Germany using forged documents to avoid being denied asylum. In May of last year, he was detained in Germany for document forgery and spent four days in custody.
Meanwhile, another attack resembling an Islamist terrorist act occurred in Germany last week: in Munich, an Afghan migrant deliberately drove into a crowd of demonstrators. Two days after the incident, a two-year-old girl and a 37-year-old woman succumbed to their injuries.
