Assault at a marketplace - Police are searching an apartment in southern Hesse following a knife attack in Mannheim.
After the stabbing incident at a gathering of an anti-Islam group called Pax Europa in Mannheim, law enforcement officials are working to understand how the event unfolded. "What concerns us most is the motive behind the attack," said officials from Baden-Württemberg's State Criminal Office. The suspect, who was shot by police, hasn't been questioned yet due to the ongoing surgery. No information about his identity has been provided so far. According to multiple news outlets, he's a 25-year-old Afghan living in the area of South Baden-Württemberg.
On the other hand, the injured police officer is fighting for his life, as stated by a spokesperson for the State Criminal Office on Saturday morning. While investigating the case, officers went to a residence in Heppenheim. The State Criminal Office in Stuttgart initially denies it was the suspect's house. All they said about the search on Friday night was that it was linked to the ongoing investigations in Mannheim.
Six people were wounded during a protest against Islam on Mannheim's market square on Friday morning. The Organisation, Pax Europa, was the target of the attack. According to a spokesperson from the episode, five of them were participants in the protest, but it remains unclear if they were a part of Pax Europa.
Michael Stürzenberger, a member of the board of the organization, also came out injured. Stefanie Kizina, the treasurer of the association, added more details to a press statement, "He was hit in the leg and in the face, he will be operated on. There is no danger to his life". Stürzenberger is one of the key figures within the organization.
Law enforcement authorities are exploring several unanswered questions regarding the knife used in the attack and its origin. If the attack was part of a planned crime or a spontaneous action is still unclear. The state office for political crimes of Karlsruhe's Public Prosecutor's Office is handling the case.
"We sympathize with all those injured in the knife attack. As Interior Minister, my first thoughts are with the wounded police officer," said Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) in a conversation with the "Bild" newspaper.
Video of the event spreads on the internet
Soon after the attack, a video appeared online depicting the event. It shows the attacker stabbing several people while onlookers are shouting, "Take the knife away!" The video also captures the moment a police officer shoots at the attacker. According to reports from police, the state prosecutor's office, and the State Criminal Office, only one shot was fired.
The attack sparked widespread horror in the country. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also expressed his dismay. "The images from Mannheim are shocking," he wrote on a platform X. "My thoughts are with the victims. Using violence in our democracy is absolutely unacceptable. The perpetrator needs to be severely punished."
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The knife attack in Mannheim, which occurred during an anti-Islam gathering, has garnered attention across Europe. The incident resulted in six injuries and left a police officer critically injured. Subsequently, the police conducted a search in an apartment in Heppenheim, Hesse, as part of their investigation. The attacker, a 25-year-old Afghan, is currently undergoing surgery and has not been questioned yet. The "Bild" newspaper reported the thoughts of Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl, who sympathized with the wounded police officer.
