Austrian officials announced on Sunday that the suspect in a stabbing attack in Villach, which left a 14-year-old dead and five others injured, is a 23-year-old Syrian refugee who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated at a press conference that the suspect was apprehended seven minutes after the attack on Saturday in the town of approximately 60,000, located near the borders of Italy and Slovenia.

Karner described the incident as an Islamist attack linked to IS, perpetrated by a suspect who had rapidly radicalized himself online.

Addressing concerns about migration and asylum seekers, Karner suggested the need for broader screenings, given the suspect’s previously unassuming profile.

He expressed sympathy for the victims but acknowledged public anger and outrage at the attack.

The attack followed a speech by Senator J.D. Vance, who criticized European leaders on mass migration and restrictions on free speech at the Munich Security Conference.

Following the revelation of the alleged Islamist motive, Austria’s far-right leader, Herbert Kickl, whose party recently won a national election, called for stricter asylum policies.

Kickl expressed outrage at the attack and blamed politicians for what he deemed a systemic failure that led to the incident. He criticized existing immigration laws, reiterating his party’s proposed changes.

The suspect faces charges of murder and attempted murder. Austrian police confirmed the suspect’s self-recorded pledge of allegiance to IS and the discovery of IS flags in his apartment during a search.

While no weapons were found, police seized mobile phones and are investigating potential accomplices, though the current assessment points to a lone perpetrator.

Carinthia State Governor Peter Kaiser commended a Syrian food delivery driver who intervened to help prevent further escalation.

Villach’s mayor, Guenther Albel, described the attack as a devastating blow to the city.

Austrian conservative party leader Christian Stocker called for the full force of the law to be brought against the attacker and emphasized the need for political measures to prevent future incidents.

The previous day, Senator Vance addressed the Munich Security Conference, highlighting the doubling of non-EU immigrants into the EU between 2021 and 2022 and linking this to recent violent incidents.

Vance expressed concern over the recurring pattern of asylum seekers committing violent acts.

The Villach stabbing is believed to be the second deadly Islamist terror attack in Austria in recent years. In November 2020, a man attempting to join IS carried out a deadly attack in Vienna, and last August, authorities prevented a planned attack at a Taylor Swift concert by an IS-supporting teenager.