- Authorities at the federal level are assuming control over the investigation in Solingen.
Following the tragic stabbing incident in Solingen, the Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the case, investigating the suspect for murder and suspected affiliation with the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). This was communicated by a spokeswoman from the German Prosecution Authority's main headquarters to the German Press Agency based in Karlsruhe.
As reported by police, a 26-year-old surrendered to the investigating authorities on Saturday evening, confessing to the crime. The involvement of this individual is being thoroughly examined. According to Düsseldorf police reports on Sunday morning, the suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian. Upon surrender, he was found wearing clothing stained with blood. The crime scene in the city center was still under police cordon on Sunday morning. Over 300 individuals gathered for a morning memorial service.
The suspect allegedly arrived in Germany towards the end of 2022 and submitted an asylum application. Previously, he had not been identified as an Islamic extremist by security authorities.
On Friday evening, a man viciously assaulted bystanders at a jubilee celebration marking Solingen's 650-year anniversary. This "Festival of Diversity". He then fled during the ensuing chaos and panic. Two men, ages 67 and 56, along with a 56-year-old woman, were tragically killed. Eight people suffered injuries, four of them seriously. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, though security authorities have yet to confirm an Islamic motivation as the primary cause.
According to Spiegel, the suspect arrived in Germany at the end of 2022 and submitted an asylum application. He had not been previously identified as an Islamic extremist by security authorities.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), spoke on Saturday evening to ARD "Tagesthemen" after the arrest of the suspect, stating, "I can only say that it's more than just a suspicion. We didn't simply receive a tip regarding this person; we also discovered evidence."
The Islamic State announced via their propaganda channel Amak that the attacker was an IS member and executed the attack as "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere." The attack was reportedly targeted at a "group of Christians."
The Düsseldorf police also received an alleged IS claim of responsibility. Now it is necessary to verify the authenticity of this letter, according to a police spokesman. It has previously been observed that the IS has claimed responsibility for attacks without establishing any credible evidence of cooperation between the attacker and the terrorist organization.
Presumably, the IS is referencing the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas as their "revenge for Muslims in Palestine." The IS and the terrorist network Al-Qaeda do not maintain alliances with the Islamist Hamas. However, security authorities remain concerned about the likelihood of terrorism and radicalization in the Islamic world due to the lengthy Gaza Strip conflict. Germany, alongside the US, is considered one of Israel's most significant allies and primary arms suppliers.
The Senior Public Prosecutor, Markus Caspers, made a statement regarding the crime's background at a press conference in Wuppertal on Saturday afternoons, "At this point, we have yet to establish a clear motive. However, given the overall circumstances, we cannot rule out the possibility of a terrorist motive."
The Federal Prosecutor's Office is responsible for acts of terrorism motivated by Islamism. General Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel identified this threat as one of the primary concerns facing Germany in his office's annual review. Of the over 700 investigations initiated last year in the areas of terrorism and state security, approximately 500 were related to Islamist terrorism. "Germany remains a target of radicalized Islamists," the Federal Prosecutor's Office stated. The spectrum of threats ranges from individually radicalized perpetrators to organized terrorist cells.
On Saturday evening, the police, in collaboration with special forces, conducted searches at a refugee shelter in Solingen. An individual reportedly connected to the perpetrator was taken into police custody, with current reports suggesting they are a witness.
A 15-year-old teenager was arrested early on Saturday morning. It is rumored that the potential charge against him is the failure to report planned crimes.
The Solingen incident caused widespread shock throughout Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz described it as a "heinous crime." "We must not accept and should never grow accustomed to something like this in our society. We must proceed with the full might of the law," Scholz stated at a Brandenburg event.
FDP Minister announces consultations on knife crime
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann announced consultations on knife control regulations. "We will now convene in the federal government to discuss how we can further advance the fight against this type of knife crime," the FDP politician told "Bild am Sonntag." Up until now, the FDP has rejected Interior Minister Nancy Faeser's (SPD) proposals for stricter bans.
The SPD calls for a substantial tightening of knife control laws. In public, knives should be carried with blade lengths of less than six centimeters, rather than the current twelve centimeters. There should be an outright ban on carrying dangerous switchblades.
The suspect, when questioned, was heard to say, "What? I didn't do anything wrong." The spokeswoman from the German Prosecution Authority's main headquarters clarified, "He is under investigation for murder and suspected affiliation with the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS)."
