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Gunman Who Killed 4 In Vienna Attack Had Sought To Join IS

By jsalinas 11/03/2020269 views

Austria Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, right, and President Alexander van der Bellen lay down a wreath in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Police in the Austrian capital said several shots were fired shortly after 8 p.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 2, in a lively street in the city center of Vienna. Austria's top security official said authorities believe there were several gunmen involved and that a police operation was still ongoing. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

(AP) – Authorities say a man who had previously tried to join the Islamic State group rampaged in Vienna armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest, fatally shooting four people before he was killed by police.

Witnesses described dozens of screaming people fleeing the sounds of gunshots Monday night in a nightlife district crowded with revelers enjoying the last hours before a coronavirus lockdown. While the attack lasted just minutes, authorities said only on Tuesday afternoon that there was no indication of a second attacker.

The suspect was identified as a young Austrian-North Macedonian dual citizen with a previous terror conviction for attempting to join the Islamic State group in Syria.