German authorities are actively pursuing an unidentified attacker who fatally stabbed three individuals and left others wounded at a festival in Solingen, a city in the west. This statement was issued by the law enforcement early on Saturday after eight people, five severely, were reported injured in the incident – an increase from the initial report of four severe injuries.
The police are currently investigating the matter by interrogating both the victims and eyewitnesses and deploying a large team to locate the offender.
The attack reportedly took place around 9.40pm on Friday; the perpetrator used a knife to launch an assault on multiple attendees. According to the police, the attacker focused particularly on the victims’ throats. Additional details regarding the attack or the motive are currently unavailable.
Acts of fatal violence involving stabbing or shooting are relatively rare in Germany, leading the government to consider the implementation of stricter regulations concerning the public carrying of knives by limiting their maximum permissible length.
A similar incident occurred in June when a knife attack at a right-wing demonstration resulted in the death of a 29-year-old officer in Mannheim. Another stabbing incident on a train in 2021 led to injuries of multiple passengers.
The stabbing on Friday took place during a festival commemorating Solingen’s 650th anniversary, hosted in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most densely populated region bordering the Netherlands. Organisers called off the remaining festivities for the weekend following the incident.
On Saturday morning, state interior minister, Herbert Reul, visited the incident site and informed journalists that the attack appeared to be a direct assault on human life. However, he refrained from making any assumptions about the possible motives. The attack happened at Fronhof, a market square featuring live music performances.