Vienna gunman, 20, who killed four and wounded 17 was released early from prison on terror charges because of his age, had wanted to join ISIS in Syria – but ‘was deemed incapable of an attack’

November 3, 2020

The Vienna gunman who killed four and wounded 17 last night was released early from prison on terror charges because of his age.

Twenty-year-old Kujtim Fejzulai was jailed in April 2019 because he wanted to travel to Syria to join ISIS but he was granted early release in December under juvenile law. The killer was not deemed capable of carrying out an attack, according to a report.

At least one terrorist started shooting close to a synagogue in the city centre at 8pm.

Armed with an automatic rifle, pistol and machete, Fejzulai was ‘neutralised’ at 8.09pm after marauding through the streets wearing a fake explosives belt.

Two women and two men were killed in his attack, although it is unclear if he was the only shooter and a manhunt is ongoing involving 1,000 security personnel after gunfire was heard in six places in the city centre last night.

Fejzulai was born and raised in the city and was one of 90 Austrian Islamic radicals known to intelligence because they wanted to travel to Syria, one national newspaper editor tweeted this morning.

He had Albanian roots and his parents were originally from North Macedonia, Falter editor Florian Kenk wrote. Police thought he was not capable of planning an attack in Vienna, Klenk added.

One of the women killed was a waitress who died of gunshot wounds in hospital overnight and another, who was aged in her 40s, later died in the Ottakring Clinic, local reports said.

One of the male victims was discovered in the meat market, while another was found gravely wounded on Franz-Josefs-Kai, close to the Wien river.

A police officer was also shot and seriously injured. Seven of the 17 victims being treated in hospital are in a critical, life-threatening condition, according to Austrian news agency APA.