Gunmen opened fire on people enjoying a night out at Vienna's cafes and restaurants before a coronavirus lockdown Monday in what authorities said was a terrorist attack that left at least two dead – including one of the assailants.
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig said 15 people were hospitalized, seven with serious injuries.
"We are victims of a despicable terror attack in the federal capital that is still ongoing," Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said hours after the gunfire erupted.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
"One of the perpetrators was neutralized, but several perpetrators appear to still be on the loose," he said. "They seem to also, as far as we know, be very well equipped, with automatic weapons. So they were very well prepared."
Video: Reuters
Kurz praised police for killing one of the attackers and vowed: "We will not never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks with all means."
Police said that several shots were fired shortly after 8 p.m. (local time) on a lively street in the city center and that there were six shooting locations. Unverified footage on social media showed gunmen walking through the streets, apparently shooting at people at random, wounding several.
The motive was under investigation, but Kurz said the possibility it was an anti-Semitic attack cannot be ruled out, given that the shooting began outside Vienna's main synagogue. It was closed at the time.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said the army had been asked to guard key locations in the city as hundreds of heavily armed police hunted for the gunmen. He urged people in Vienna to stay indoors and avoid the city center and encouraged parents not to send their children to school on Tuesday.
"We experienced an attack yesterday evening from at least one Islamist terrorist," he said, adding that the attack was an attempt to weaken or divide Austria's democratic society.
He notes that the investigation was also looking into the possibility that this was an act of Islamist terrorism, as one of the terrorists was identified as an Islamic State member.
'We will not give in'
Oskar Deutsch, the head of the Jewish community in Vienna, said it was not clear whether the main synagogue had been targeted.
Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister said he saw at least one person shoot at people sitting outside at bars in the street below his window.
"They were shooting at least 100 rounds just outside our building," Hofmeister said.
"All these bars have tables outside. This evening is the last evening before the lockdown," he added. "As of midnight, all bars and restaurants will be closed in Austria for the next month, and a lot of people probably wanted to use that evening to be able to go out."
President Donald Trump tweeted American support for Austria in fighting terrorism. "Our prayers are with the people of Vienna after yet another vile act of terrorism in Europe. These evil attacks against innocent people must stop," he wrote.
Our prayers are with the people of Vienna after yet another vile act of terrorism in Europe. These evil attacks against innocent people must stop. The U.S. stands with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2020
This attack in Vienna came at a volatile moment in Europe and follows gruesome attacks in France.
At the center of the volatility is French President Emmanuel Macron and his increasingly aggressive stance against Islamic extremism.
Macron tweeted that the French "share the shock and grief of the Austrian people hit by an attack tonight."
"After France, this is a friendly country that has been attacked. This is our Europe. ... We will not give in," he wrote.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
