The suspect in the mass stabbing attack at a German “festival of diversity” reportedly shouted out “Allahu Akbar” and is said to have been a “visitor to a local mosque”.
UPDATE 2100: Bild reports that an affiliate of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack as revenge for “Muslims in Palestine”. Meanwhile, elite police officers from the Special Operations Command (SEK) have stormed a migrant shelter in Solingen, some 300 meters from the scene of the mass stabbing. A suspect of suspected Syrian origin has been arrested, however, it is currently unclear if the man arrested is believed to be the attacker.
The original story continues as follows…
German paper of record Die Welt has claimed to have obtained an internal report from police in Solingen in the wake of the mass stabbing on Friday evening that left three people dead, including two men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman. Eight others were injured during the attack, including four who were seriously wounded.
The police report is said to have stated: “A witness injured in the crime stated that the unknown suspect was ‘known from Solingen’ and that he was also a visitor to a local mosque. A witness reported that the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during his crimes.”
A manhunt is currently underway in Germany for the suspect, who successfully fled the scene of the attack, which took place on Friday evening in Solingen city centre at a diversity festival as the city celebrated its 650th anniversary.
Police have so far not released any description of the suspected attacker, saying that there are a large number of witness statements that need to be checked and cross-referenced.
The suspect is reported to have specifically stabbed the victims in their necks, leading to further speculation that the attack was terror-motivated.
According to the German newspaper Bild, witnesses to the attack saw the alleged knifeman talking to a 15-year-old prior to the attack. He is said to have told the youth: “Today I’m stabbing everyone.”
A 15-year-old was arrested on Saturday morning for allegedly failing to notify authorities of a planned attack. Der Spiegel reported that the youth comes from Kyrgyzstan and was arrested at a refugee shelter. He has reportedly refused to testify.
Commenting on the latest attack, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Saturday: “The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families.
“I wish the injured a speedy recovery. The perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the full extent of the law.”
The attack comes amid a sharp rise in knife crime, with 8,951 knife-related instances of dangerous or serious bodily harm recorded last year in Germany, a rise of nearly 9.7 per cent over the previous year. Last month, Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik said that the rise in knife crime is largely attributed to young foreign males in the country.