German law enforcement apprehended an individual under suspicion for perpetrating fatal stabbings at a musical event.
The subject was apprehended at a refugee facility following an extensive manhunt, which involved extensive search operations across North Rhine-Westphalia and the deployment of special force units. Previously, a 15-year-old boy was detained in relation to the event, but he was not deemed to be the suspected assailant.
Just recently, the actual suspect has been taken into custody. They are currently being interrogated, and more information is being gathered to determine whether we have sufficient evidence to support our claim. At this point, it's no longer merely an assumption, but a more concrete fact, according to North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Herbert Reul, who spoke to German public broadcaster ARD on Sunday.
Before the capture, residents in the city of Solingen were encouraged to remain vigilant due to the unidentified assailant's continued presence. For several hours, authorities were unable to provide a clear description of the suspect's appearance.
Two men, aged 67 and 56, along with a woman, aged 56, were identified as the victims. Eight other individuals were injured, including four with life-threatening injuries.
A definitive motive for the attack has not yet been established, though terrorism has not been ruled out.
As reported by a police spokesperson, Thorsten Fleiß, the attacker targeted their victims' necks specifically. He made this observation during a press briefing, after reviewing initial footage of the incident.
Several individuals were stabbed at random during the attack that took place at a central square in Solingen on Friday evening. The attack occurred approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Düsseldorf, near the stage where a musical performance was taking place as part of the "Festival of Diversity," a three-day event celebrating the city's 650th anniversary.
Eyewitness, Lars Breitzke, shared his account with the Solinger Tageblatt, stating that he became suspicious due to the singer's distressed expression on stage before seeing an individual collapse just meters away from him.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack as a "distressing" and "terrible" incident.
Friday's attack occurred during a period of increasing knife crime rates in Germany, prompting the Interior Ministry to consider tightening regulations to address the issue.
In 2023, there were 8,951 reported incidents of serious knife-related injuries in Germany – an increase of 791 cases compared to the previous year, according to police data.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Following the arrest, law enforcement agencies are now investigating the suspect's potential connections to wider terrorist networks across Europe. Given the nature of the attack and the increasing knife crime rates in Germany, the world is watching this case closely.
