- The Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia has not yet surrendered in the case of Solingen.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Interior, Herbert Reul (CDU), made it clear in the Düsseldorf state parliament that the suspect in the fatal stabbing incident in Solingen didn't surrender. In fact, a male individual caught the notice of a police patrol late Saturday evening near the crime scene, Reul shared during a joint emergency meeting of the Interior and Integration Committees. This individual was spotted due to their actions and appearance, leading to his immediate apprehension.
Reul explicitely warned against assumptions about a tip from a foreign intelligence agency regarding the 26-year-old Syrian suspect. "Intelligence services operate based on investigative work, with sources, with informants," said Reul. Any speculation, even if it's just buzz, poses a threat to this work.**
Due to the investigative powers of the Federal Prosecutor General, Reul couldn't disclose all details, he said. However, he confirmed that the blood-stained knife discovered in the city center was highly likely the murder weapon. The suspected video evidence is currently under examination by experts from his department. It aligns with the IS propaganda strategy, the Interior Minister added.
Herbert Reul advises against Islamophobia
"We must remain vigilant against Islamophobia," he emphasized. Currently, 185 suspected Islamists reside in NRW, under observation by the security authorities. "The Solingen suspect was not among these individuals," Reul noted. He was neither known to the police nor had any history of state security offenses. "No one had him on their radar."
The NRW Minister of Interior critically analyzed the debate about strengthening gun control laws. "The Solingen suspect used a knife that many likely possess in their kitchen," he stressed. Carrying such a knife in public is already illegal. "He shouldn't have been permitted in public with it," Reul remarked. However, no ban would have prevented the attack.
Attackers not deterred by prohibitions
"People, not weapons, kill people," the minister reiterated. Those intent on causing harm probably don't care about any prohibitions. What's more crucial is an informed, thorough discussion about the equipment required by the security authorities.
In the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen, a perpetrator murdered three individuals and injured eight more with a knife at a city festival on Friday evening. The suspected perpetrator is the 26-year-old Syrian Issa Al H., held in Düsseldorf.
Investigations into Solingen
The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating him, among other things, for murder and membership in the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). The group claimed responsibility for the act and also published a video of a masked man, allegedly the perpetrator. The suspected perpetrator had been scheduled for deportation to Bulgaria last year, but the process failed.
The police patrol spotted a suspicious individual near the crime scene in Solingen on Saturday evening, which led to his immediate apprehension. Although the suspect in the fatal stabbing incident wasn't the one apprehended, the incident underscores the importance of police patrols in maintaining security.
The late-evening police patrol's vigilance led to the discovery of the individual, highlighting the significance of constant surveillance in preventing and solving crimes.
