Austrian Officials Say Syrian Accused of Killing Schoolboy Was Radicalized on TikTok

The suspect, identified only as Ahmad G., had an ISIS flag in his apartment but had not come to the attention of the authorities before Sunday’s attack.

Police officers stand guard at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was killed and several others were wounded in a stabbing attack, in Villach, Austria, on Feb. 16, 2025. Borut Zivulovic/Reuters

A 23-year-old Syrian who is accused of stabbing a 14-year-old boy to death and wounding five other people in the Austrian town of Villach had been radicalized on TikTok, officials said on Monday.

They said the suspect, who under Austrian law can only be identified as Ahmad G., was found to have an ISIS flag in his apartment after his arrest but he had not previously come to the attention of the authorities.