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.
