VIENNA — A lawyer for the key suspect in an alleged plot to attack now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna said Tuesday that investigators‘ portrayal of the case is overblown, and his client would not have been able to carry out plans described as “fantasies.”

The 19-year-old Austrian male, whose name has not been revealed due to Austrian privacy laws, was arrested last Wednesday as one of three people held. Hours later, organizers canceled Swift’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday concerts at the Austrian capital’s Ernst Happel Stadium. Fans were devastated by the decision.

Austrian officials have stated that the suspect planned to carry out an attack outside the stadium, murdering as many people as possible with knives or homemade explosives. They claim that during a raid on the suspect’s residence, investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices.

Authorities claimed last week that the suspect admitted to preparing the attack in July. Defense lawyer Werner Tomanek informed the Austrian Press Agency that he does not yet have access to the case files, but noted a “fragmentary record” of his client’s initial questioning to refute their claim of a full confession.

“He had neither the means nor the possibility and the explosives to carry this out,” Tomanek claimed. He went on to say that authorities’ claims against the 19-year-old suspect were “overacting at its best,” and that they are “presenting this exaggeratedly” in order to obtain greater monitoring capabilities.

He stated that the young man made a pledge of loyalty to the Islamic State group and posted it online, but then removed it.

When asked why his client did so, Tomanek said, “Because he found it cool.” He claimed the individual sought to emulate the stances used by the assailant in a Nov. 2, 2020, attack in Vienna that murdered four people and killed the gunman, who had a previous conviction for attempting to join IS in Syria.

Swift has five gigs scheduled at London’s Wembley Stadium, beginning on Thursday.

Tomanek stated that his client appeared to have mental issues and described him as “a lone wolf without social contacts.” He stated, “The alleged attack plans were pure fantasies.”

The lawyer stated that during his initial questioning by investigators, his client agreed “in principle to Islamist tendencies” and admitted to seeking and finding “contact with such people online,” according to the APA.

He stated that the young man made a pledge of loyalty to the Islamic State group and posted it online, but then removed it.

When asked why his client did so, Tomanek said, “Because he found it cool.” He claimed the individual sought to emulate the stances used by the assailant in a Nov. 2, 2020, attack in Vienna that murdered four people and killed the gunman, who had a previous conviction for attempting to join IS in Syria.

Taylor Swift has five gigs scheduled at London’s Wembley Stadium, beginning on Thursday.

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