Police in Vienna are on the hunt for at least one assailant after multiple armed terrorists opened fire in the heart of the Austrian capital on Monday evening.
Vienna is now on high alert in the wake of the incident, which saw multiple terrorists open fire at six locations, killing at least two people and injuring more than 15, including a police officer. While some of the attackers were apprehended and one killed by police, armed forces have been mobilized to search for at least one gunman who remains on the loose.
Videos shot by eyewitnesses and footage obtained from CCTV cameras of the co-ordinated terrorist attack are now being widely circulated on social media. One clip shows one of the gunmen combing through the streets of Vienna yelling "Allahu Akbar" while firing at a target that is hidden from view.
Another video, which appears to have been shot by a resident from the window of her home, shows two police officers chasing one of the attackers with their guns drawn before the terrorist opens fire in their direction, striking one of the officers, who collapses on the ground. (Warning: The video is graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised.)
A third video captures the moment one of the terrorists wearing a black hood running up to a man and shooting him at close range with a rifle before he falls to the ground. The assailant then runs away and then returns seconds later to shoot the man two more times with a handgun. (Warning: The video is graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised.)
Additional footage shows one of the terrorists being chased by police on motorcycles while another clip showed people aiding a wounded person lying in a pool of blood, just outside an outdoor café. Several chairs can be seen overturned, as if abandoned in a hurry.
Shooting Took Place in City Centre Hours Before Lockdown
The attack took place at around 8 p.m. in Vienna's Inner City district, a nightlight hub packed with restaurants and bars as residents were enjoying their final moments of freedom before the imposition of a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
The first shootings was reported near the city's main Jewishsynagogue, the 19th-century Stadttempel. The temple was closed at the time and it is not clear if it was the target of the attack, but it was the same place a terrorist attack in 1981 left two people dead and dozens wounded.
