A woman writes on a plaque near a tribute placed on the ground after several people died when a man attacked passersby with a knife at a city festival in Solingen, Germany, on August 24, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Special police units on Saturday (August 24, 2024) joined the search for an unidentified man who launched a knife attack at a crowded festival in Western German The explosion in the city of Solingen killed three people and injured at least eight others, five of them seriously.
Markus Caspers of the counter-terrorism section of the public prosecutor’s office told a press conference on Saturday (August 24, 2024) that authorities had not been able to locate the culprit. He said terrorist motivation could not be ruled out.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday morning (August 24, 2024). Police said he is suspected of knowing about the planned attack and not informing authorities, but he was not the attacker.
“Police are currently conducting a massive search for the offender,” the police said in a statement. “Both victims and witnesses are being questioned,” they added.
The police warned people to remain vigilant while well-wishers started offering flowers at the spot. The police have created an online portal where witnesses can upload footage and any other information related to the attack.
Just after 9:30 p.m. on Friday (August 23, 2024), people reported to police that an unknown attacker had injured several people with a knife on the central square, Fraunhof. Police said they believed the stabbing was carried out by a lone assailant and did not provide any information on the identity of the victims.
“Our hearts were broken last night. We are filled with fear and sadness in Solingen. What happened in our city yesterday did not let any of us sleep,” Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach said, speaking to reporters near the site of the attack on Saturday (August 24, 2024).
The “Festival of Diversity”, held in celebration of the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday (August 23, 2024) and will run until Sunday (August 25, 2024), presenting attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics on several stages along the central streets.
The attack took place in a crowd in front of a stage. Hours after the attack, the stage lights were still burning while police and forensic investigators searched for clues in the cordoned off square.
One of the festival’s organisers, Philipp Müller, appeared on stage on Friday (August 23, 2024) and asked festival-goers to “stay calm; please keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the culprit has not been caught.” Solingen has around 160,000 inhabitants and is located near the larger cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf.
The remainder of the festival was cancelled.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday (August 24, 2024) that the perpetrator of the attack must be caught as quickly as possible and punished with the full force of the law.
“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me deeply. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach. We express our condolences to the victims and stand with their families,” Mr Scholz said on X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke to the mayor of Solingen on Saturday (August 24, 2024) morning.
“The heinous incident in Solingen has shocked me and our country. We mourn those killed and worry about the injured and I wholeheartedly wish them strength and a speedy recovery,” Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday. (August 24, 2024).
“The culprit must be brought to justice. Let us all stand together against hatred and violence.”
Concerns have been raised about a rise in knife violence in Germany, with Interior Minister Nancy Fesser recently proposing to toughen weapons laws, which would now only allow knives with blades up to 6 cm long to be carried in public places, down from the current permitted length of up to 12 cm.