Alexander (Alex) Kopeinig
Died 15 February 2025
Who they were
Alex was 14 and a pupil at an HTL (technical secondary school). He loved karting, skiing and time with his friends; a friend told Heute that he always looked out for everyone.
What happened
On Saturday 15 February 2025, Alex was stabbed in Villach city centre by a man who attacked teenagers and young men at random. Five other people were injured. The attacker said he had acted in the name of the terrorist group Islamic State. In May 2026 a jury at the Klagenfurt regional court sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Verdict / confirmation
Landesgericht Klagenfurt, 27 May 2026: life imprisonment for murder, five attempted murders and terrorist offences; final 2 Jun 2026.
Perpetrator: A 24-year-old Syrian national living in Austria (ORF); by his own statement acted in the name of IS.