- Solingen: Authorities are not dismissing the possibility of terror-related activities.
Following the lethal stabbing incident in Solingen, the prosecutor's office hasn't dismissed a potential terrorist motivation. The culprit remains unidentified, as announced by the chief public prosecutor, Markus Caspers, at a press meeting in Wuppertal. "No definite motive has been established so far, but considering the overall scenario, we cannot disregard the initial presumption of a terrorist motive."
At the moment, no other motivation is evident. If it's established that a terrorist incident has occurred, the case might be handed over to the Federal Prosecutor General.
As of now, the authorities are speculating on a solitary offender. A 15-year-old minor has been nabbed, but the police do not suspect him to be the perpetrator. According to eyewitness accounts, an unidentified individual is said to have conversed with the minor just prior to the crime about intentions that align with the crime, disclosed Caspers. However, it's unclear whether this person is the offender.
Currently, investigative activities are being conducted across North Rhine-Westphalia and the entire federation, as stated by police chief Thorsten Fleiß. He mentioned extensive investigative measures.
During the local gathering on Friday night, three individuals lost their lives - two men aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman. Eight individuals were wounded, four of them severely. The offender seems to have selected the victims at random. He then disappeared in the disorder and initial panic post the crime. The police urged the inhabitants of Solingen to stay vigilant on Saturday.
The investigation into the stabbing incident in Solingen is currently focusing on potential links to Germany due to the unidentified individual's conversation with a minor. If the case progresses and a terrorist incident is confirmed, it could potentially be transferred to the Federal Prosecutor General.
