A court in Klagenfurt, in Austria’s Carinthia province, has sentenced a 25-year-old Syrian man identified as Ahmad J. to life imprisonment for carrying out a deadly terrorist attack in the city of Villach.
During the final court hearing on Wednesday, the defendant admitted all charges and repeated that he had intended to kill a larger number of people.
“I wanted to kill more people. I wanted to kill 14 or 15 people so that the police would shoot me and I would become a martyr,” he told the court.
The attacker identified himself as a supporter of ISIS and stated that he had been radicalized through propaganda videos he watched on TikTok.
The attack took place on February 15, 2025, when the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” and attacked pedestrians in Villach.
A 14-year-old boy was killed in the assault, while four other people were injured.
The attack was stopped when a Syrian citizen, Alaa Al-Halabi, intervened and prevented the attacker from continuing his assault.
Al-Halabi has since been widely praised in Austrian media and has become known as the “Hero of Villach” for helping save lives during the incident.
Reports indicate that Austrian authorities are considering granting him Austrian citizenship in recognition of his actions.
Judicial officials stated that Ahmad J. will serve his sentence in a high-security prison under special monitoring measures due to concerns over the risk of future violence and security threats.
The case has reignited discussions in Austria about extremism, online radicalization, and the role of social media platforms in spreading terrorist propaganda.
