The reason behind the knife attack in Mannheim remains unexplained.
A spokesperson for PAX Europa, Stefanie Kizina, confided in "Bild" that the assailant specifically targeted PAX Europa board member Michael Stürzenberger during the attack. The 59-year-old sustained injuries from a knife to the face.
Stürzenberger, along with his associates within PAX Europa, hold responsibility in addressing constitutionally-relevant Islamophobia, as identified by authorities in Bavaria. He has served as a meeting leader for PAX Europa and an author on right-wing extremist website Political Incorrect. The site of the Bavarian Information Center against Extremism describes Stürzenberger as an individual who makes "Islamophobic statements."
The assailant, as per the statements from the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office and police, is a married man with two children. He resides in Heppenheim, Hesse. Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence overnight between Thursday and Friday, seizing electronic data carriers for further examination.
The man had not previously been known to the police. The District Court of Karlsruhe issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of attempted murder.
One of the injured officers remained in critical condition, according to statements from the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police. Of the five injured men, aged between 25 and 59, three were Germans, one was a German-Kazakh, and one was an Iraqi citizen. The 25-year-old had already been discharged from the hospital.
Read also:
The knife attack in Mannheim has raised concerns within the PAX Europa community, particularly as their board member Michael Stürzenberger was the target. The attack is currently under investigation by the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's office and local police. The assailant is a married man with two children from Heppenheim, Hesse, who had not previously been known to the authorities. The incident took place at a marketplace, resulting in injuries to Stürzenberger and several other men, with one officer remaining in critical condition. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, though Stürzenberger's public stance against Islamophobia as a board member of PAX Europa and his writings on an extremist site have been highlighted. The investigation will delve into the seized electronic data to potentially uncover the motive. The incident has been reported by various German media outlets, including the "Bild" newspaper.
