23-year-old man stabs 5 people in Austria, killing 1 in what police describe as a random attack
NBCFEB 19
Austria Links Fatal Stabbing to IS
Above: Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner places a candle on Feb. 16, 2025 at the site where a man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife and stabbed to death a teenager and wounded five other people in Villach, Austria. Image copyright: Gerd Eggenberger/APA/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
This jihadist attack in Austria comes as a great shock, but not as a surprise. After all, incidents in neighboring Germany as well as the foiled attack at the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna should have raised alarms. It's about time for Austria to adopt stricter asylum laws and protect its citizens.
Left narrative
It's senseless to blame the entire Syrian diaspora community for the isolated actions of an extremist individual, especially as another Syrian national was the one who heroically brought him down. Like many other migrants, Syrians fled their homeland seeking safety and peace and are grateful to have found that in Austria.