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Vienna shooting: Austria launches manhunt after deadly terror attack

Austrian police are searching for at least one suspect after a multiple gun attack in the capital, Vienna, that killed four people.

Seventeen other people have been wounded – some seriously – after gunmen opened fire at six different locations in the city centre on Monday evening.

One attacker was shot dead by police, officials said, and one was arrested.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer described the assailant killed by police as an “Islamist terrorist”.

Two of those who died in the random shooting were women and two were men. One of the women was reportedly a waitress. The second woman died of her wounds in hospital overnight, reports said.

The victims were in a city centre area busy with people in bars and restaurants, near Vienna’s central synagogue, but it is not yet clear if that was the target.

Seven of the wounded have life-threatening injuries, Austrian media report.

Addressing a news conference, Mr Nehammer said the heavily armed gunman killed by police was an Islamic State (IS) sympathiser and that his home had been searched and video material seized. Police tweeted that he had been wearing a fake explosive belt.

Earlier, Mr Nehammer said at least one “heavily armed and dangerous” attacker was believed to be still at large. Officials were quoted as saying there could have been as many as four attackers. The interior minister urged people to avoid central Vienna and told parents to keep their children home on Tuesday if they could.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called it a “repulsive terror attack”.

It happened hours before Austria imposed new national restrictions to try to stem rising cases of coronavirus. Many people were enjoying drinks and eating out before a midnight curfew.

European leaders strongly condemned the shooting. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “deeply shocked by the terrible attacks”.

What do we know about the attack?

Police said the incident began at about 20:00 (19:00 GMT), near the Seitenstettengasse synagogue, when a heavily armed man opened fire on people outside cafes and restaurants.

Members of the special forces quickly arrived at the scene. One policeman was shot and critically wounded before the perpetrator, who was armed with an automatic rifle, a pistol and a machete, was, in the chief’s words “neutralised” at 20:09.

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