By German police detained an individual on Saturday in connection with a knife attack at a festival in Solingen that left three people dead and eight wounded. The detention came hours after the Friday night assault, which occurred during celebrations marking the city’s 650th anniversary.
The attack took place around 9:40 p.m. local time on Friday at the Fronhof, a central square where live bands were performing. Police said the investigation and manhunt for possible additional perpetrators are ongoing, with the motive still unclear.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for swift action in a social media post: “The perpetrator must be quickly caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that security authorities are working to apprehend the assailant and investigate the background of the attack. The festival, located in North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border, was canceled for the remainder of the weekend.
Solingen Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach expressed the city’s shock and grief at a press conference Saturday morning. The square remained cordoned off, with citizens placing candles and flowers outside the barricades.
A German musician performing under the name Topic reported on social media that he was asked to continue playing to avoid panic, only later being told to stop and take shelter as police helicopters circled overhead.
Initial reports suggested the attacker targeted victims’ throats, though police later declined to confirm this detail, deferring to an upcoming news conference.
The incident has reignited discussions about knife regulations in Germany. Earlier this month, the government proposed tightening rules on knife carrying in public by reducing the maximum allowed blade length.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul, who visited the scene early Saturday, described the incident as a targeted attack on human life but refrained from speculating on motives.
Solingen, a city of approximately 165,000 residents known for its knife manufacturing industry, now grapples with the aftermath of this violent event. As the investigation unfolds, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The attack marks one of the most significant incidents of public violence in Germany in recent years, following a fatal stabbing of a police officer in Mannheim in June and a train attack in 2021.
Source: Reuters
