What caused the assault in Mannheim?
There's widespread fury across the country: In the heart of Mannheim, a man attacked multiple individuals with a knife at a demonstration staged by the anti-Islam group Pax Europa. Authorities are now working to figure out what prompted this act.
One day following the knife attack at a Pax Europa function in Mannheim, investigators continue to puzzle over the incident's origins. "What worries us most is motive exploration," stated a representative from the Criminal Investigation Office of Baden-Württemberg.
The man who was killed by police officers is currently undergoing surgery and unavailable for questioning, making it difficult to uncover his motivation. No word has been said about his identity. Based on consistent media reports, he's a 25-year-old hailing from Herat, Afghanistan, residing in South Baden. A search occurred in Heppenheim on Friday night. A representative for the Stuttgart Criminal Investigation Office initially refused to confirm media claims that the suspect's flat was searched. The search was conducted as part of the investigation in Mannheim, said an officer.
The attacker assaulted individuals participating in an anti-Islamic gathering at Mannheim's market square on Friday morning, injuring six people, including a cop. The representative from the Criminal Investigation Office gave this information: only five of the injured parties were participants of the demonstration, while the sixth individual was a police officer. The identities of all parties involved still remain uncertain.
The injured police officer hasn't improved; a Criminal Investigation Office spokesperson described the officer's condition as "hanging by a thread." Stefanie Kizina, a Pax Europa board member, detailed that Michael Stürzenberger, a leading figure in the movement, was also hurt. Kizina disclosed the attack targeted the 59-year-old Stürzenberger, who was stabbed in the face. "He sustained injuries to his face and leg; he'll undergo surgery. There's no risk to his life," she said.
Pax Europa plans to exhibit at the Katharinentreppe in the inner city of Dortmund on Saturday; Kizina asserts that additional security measures will likely be implemented by police. The organization doesn't currently plan to hire a personal security service. However, she doesn't anticipate Stürzenberger joining them on Saturday, as he "suffered some serious injuries."
The Criminal Investigation Office has many questions that need to be answered within the investigation. "What is the nature of the knife? Where did it come from? Did he purchase the knife?" The suspect's motives may stem from these queries, officials confirm. The state office for political crimes of the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office is handling the case. "On behalf of the injured individuals in the knife assault, the injured police officer, and myself, I express my sympathy," remarked Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl to the "Bild" newspaper.
Moments after the attack, a video of the incident surfaced online: the offender is seen stabbing multiple people and observers are heard crying, "Take the knife away!" The video also captures a cop shooting the attacker. According to the police, the state prosecutor, and the criminal investigation department, a single shot was fired. The event caused massive shock and horror nationwide. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor, expressed his shock on X, saying, "The images from Mannheim are dreadful." "My thoughts are with the victims. Violence has no place in our democracy. The perpetrator must be severely punished."
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier denounced the Mannheim attack vehemently. "I strongly condemn the Mannheim attack!" His spokeswoman Cerstin Gammelin declared on X in Steinmeier's name. "There's no place for violence in our democracy - violence obliterates democracy. Freedom of expression is of high value." Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck termed the symptoms as "frightening scenes of violence." The circumstances of the attack urgently need to be scrutinized, Habeck informed the German Press Agency on Friday. Mannheim's CDU mayor, Christian Specht, described the knife attack as a terrorist act, adding, "In the name of the city of Mannheim and the Mannheim community, I condemn this despicable, barbaric terrorist attack at an islamophobic event."
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Investigators from the International Police are aiding their local counterparts in Baden-Württemberg to delve deeper into the motives behind the violent knife attack in Mannheim. Despite the attacker's unfortunate encounter with police officers, discussions regarding potential charges and his possible extradition to his home country are starting to surface internationally.
