Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described the incident as a “repulsive terror attack”.
One of the suspected killers, identified as an Islamic State group sympathizer, was shot dead by police who said they were searching for at least one more assailant still at large.
The location of the initial shooting was close to the city’s main synagogue.
The president of Vienna’s Jewish community Oskar Deutsch said that shots had been fired “in the immediate vicinity” of the Stadttempel synagogue, but added that it was currently unknown whether the synagogue — closed at the time — had been the target of an attack.
“All Jewish schools, synagogues, and Jewish community institutions, and also all kosher supermarkets and restaurants will remain closed out of caution,” he said.
A huge manhunt was under way Tuesday after Islamist terrorists opened fire at multiple locations across central Vienna Monday night, killing at least three people and wounding several more.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described it as a “repulsive terror attack”.
One of the suspected killers, identified as an Islamic State group sympathiser, was shot dead by police who said they were searching for at least one more assailant still at large.
The attacks, in six locations including near a synagogue in the centre of the city, were carried out by “several suspects armed with rifles”, police said on Monday night.
The location of the initial shooting was close to the city’s main synagogue.
The president of Vienna’s Jewish community Oskar Deutch said that shots had been fired “in the immediate vicinity” of the Stadttempel synagogue, but added that it was currently unknown whether the synagogue — closed at the time — had been the target of an attack.
Deutch said Tuesday that all Jewish institutions would remain closed as a precaution.
“All Jewish schools, synagogues, and Jewish community institutions, and also all kosher supermarkets and restaurants will remain closed out of caution,” he said.
He said there were no casualties among the Jewish community.
The shooting began around 8 pm just hours before Austria was to re-impose a coronavirus lockdown, with people out in bars and restaurants enjoying a final night of relative freedom.
The death toll rose on Tuesday to three people, two men and a woman, police said.
Vienna mayor Michael Ludwig earlier said that 15 people had been taken to hospital, seven of them seriously wounded.
Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told a press conference Tuesday that the dead attacker was “a radicalised person who felt close to IS.”
“All the signs make it clear it’s a radicalized person and a person who feels closely connected to IS.”
Police had used explosives to blast their way into the apartment of the dead man who had been “heavily armed”, the minister added
Austrian Chancellor Kurz said the attackers were “were very well equipped with automatic weapons” and had “prepared professionally”.
He had tweeted: “Our police will act decisively against the perpetrators of this repulsive terror attack.
“We will never be intimidated by terrorism and we will fight this attack with all means”.
Kurz said that while police were concentrating on the anti-terror operation, the army would take over the security of major buildings in Vienna.
Vienna residents are urged to remain in their homes and keep away from all public places or public transport. Children are not going to school.
EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc “strongly condemns this cowardly act”, with European and global leaders also voicing support for Austria.