A man stabbed a 14-year-old boy to death and injured four others in the Austrian city of Villach on Saturday.
The 23-year-old suspect was arrested by police. He is a Syrian citizen with a residence permit in Austria, according to authorities.
All the victims were male. Two suffered serious injuries and two suffered minor injuries.
The motive, according to police, is unknown. Authorities are investigating the attacker's personal background.
The incident immediately prompted a reaction from the far-right Freedom Party. Erwin Angerer from the party said they had repeatedly "warned about the situation as a result of terrible asylum policies."
According to Austria's Interior Ministry, nearly 25 foreigners sought asylum in 2024. The largest group was from Syria, followed by Afghanistan. Several European countries, including Austria, said in December they would suspend decisions on asylum seekers from Syrian nationals, due to unclear circumstances in their homeland after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
