Three people were killed and four seriously injured when a man stabbed random people with a knife during an anniversary celebration in the German town of Solingen on Friday evening. Three others are also said to be slightly injured. On Saturday morning, the police arrested a 15-year-old boy who they suspect has a link to the attack. At the same time, they continue to look for the perpetrator. – We believe at this point that we are dealing with one perpetrator, German police said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. Does not rule out terror There were no specific terrorist threats against the festival, nor was there a large security zone at the site, according to the police. Nevertheless, a terrorist motive is not ruled out, according to state attorney Markus Caspers. The attacker stabbed people randomly with a knife. According to the police, he must have aimed at the victims’ necks. The police have found “several knives” and are trying to determine whether one of them was used in the attack. They also watch a video that they believe shows the attack. – Due to the brutality and complexity of the attack, we have a lot of evidence to look at, they said. Heard the 15-year-old talking to the perpetrator All night until Saturday, Saturday morning and into the afternoon, large police forces searched for the perpetrator. German special forces are involved in the hunt. On social media, several people are speculating about the perpetrator’s motives, and several have spread information that two people have been arrested. Police Chief Markus Röhrl said he was not aware of such reports and would not comment on the investigation. Armed police on site in Solingen. Photo: Gianni Gattus / AP He emphasizes that the 15-year-old has not been arrested because they believe he is the perpetrator, but because they suspect he may be connected to the attack. Two witnesses are said to have heard the 15-year-old talking to the suspected perpetrator about the knife attack shortly before the attack took place. Only after the attack did the witnesses realize what they had overheard, and went to the police. Will not release a photo of the suspect The police will not release a description or photos of the perpetrator. During the press conference, the journalists pressed for this. – We have so many witnesses. Why are you so hesitant to release a description or picture of the person you are looking for? asked one of them. The police replied that they do not want to give a description now, because witnesses have given such different descriptions of the perpetrator. – We don’t want to give a description now, only to have to clean it up if it turns out to be wrong later. Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters Several journalists then asked why the police did not give them information about the arrested 15-year-old. To that, the police replied that it is not usual to release information about suspects without them being charged. Attacks on gatherings The anniversary celebration on Friday is referred to as a festival of diversity. More than 80,000 visitors were expected for the festival, which was to last from Friday to Sunday. It has now been cancelled. On Saturday, people laid down candles, flowers and rainbow flags in the city. Photo: Henning Kaiser / AP – We cannot avoid more events that gather many people being affected by such attacks, the police said at the press conference. One of the most talked about was the attack on the Christmas market in Berlin in 2016. In 2020, nine people were shot and killed in several bars in the city of Hanau, and in 2023 there was a knife attack on a train. – But we cannot lock ourselves in and not meet. Then we will go crazy, said the police. The DJ was asked to continue The attack took place during the celebration of the city’s 650th anniversary at 9.45pm on Friday evening, in Fronhof square. The event was canceled shortly after 10 p.m. Several thousand people had gathered in the square, where there was, among other things, a concert. DJ Topic from Solingen was on stage in the square when the attack happened. In a video on Instagram, he says that the organizer first asked him to continue playing to avoid panic. German special forces arrived in Solingen last night Photo: Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters After 20 minutes he was asked to stop. Even then it was said that three were dead, and people were asked to leave the area. Eyewitness Lars Breitzke told the local newspaper Solinger Tagblatt that he understood that something was wrong when he saw a singer on stage with a strange expression on his face. – Then a person fell over, just a meter from me, he said. In grief – Tonight everyone in Solingen is in shock and great sadness, wrote the mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach, on Facebook on Friday. Kurzbach writes that they all wanted to celebrate the city anniversary, but now they have to mourn the dead and injured. Minister of the Interior in the state Herbert Reul is affected by the attack. Photo: Thomas Banneyer / AP The Prime Minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, reacts strongly to the attack. – It is a brutal and senseless act of violence. It hit our country in the heart, he writes on X. – Our thoughts go out to the next of kin, to the dead and the injured, said the interior minister in the state when he met the press in Solingen on Saturday night. Published 23.08.2024, at 23.06 Updated 24.08.2024, at 16.22
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Several killed during town party in Germany – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
