VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria is investigating 21 individuals as doable accomplices of the jihadist who went on a lethal capturing rampage in Vienna final week, however a lot stays unknown, together with how he acquired to the realm of the assault, officers stated on Friday.

The 20-year-old Vienna native armed with an assault rifle, handgun and machete killed 4 individuals in part of the town centre with many bars that additionally homes Vienna’s major synagogue, which was closed on the time. He was shot useless by police.

“Nobody else was instantly concerned in finishing up this crime on Nov. 2. What we can not but say definitively is to what extent accomplices offered help earlier than the act,” the police official main the investigation, Michael Lohnegger, instructed a information convention.

Vienna prosecutors’ workplace spokeswoman Nina Bussek stated the variety of individuals remanded in custody over the assault was unchanged at 10, and 21 individuals in whole had been below investigation, aged 16-28. As but unknown further accomplices are nonetheless being seemed for.

Austria has admitted to an intelligence failure earlier than the assault because it mishandled data that the attacker tried to purchase ammunition in Slovakia in July, and that he met identified international Islamists that month – two from Germany who had been below surveillance and two from Switzerland who’ve been arrested.

It stays unclear how the attacker carrying weapons, ammunition and a dummy explosives belt travelled to the town centre greater than 10 days in the past.

“What we are able to at the moment truly rule out right here is that the perpetrator arrived on the crime scene by public transport,” Lohnegger stated, including that different types of transport together with taxis had been nonetheless being labored on.

“Whether or not it is usually doable that he walked to the scene of the crime, I can not say. Which means I additionally can not rule it out.”

(Reporting by Francois Murphy, Modifying by William Maclean)