SOLINGEN, Germany (AP) — A large-scale search was underway Saturday in western Germany German The city of Solingen was hit by a violent explosion that left three dead and at least eight injured, five of them seriously. Knife attack at festival.
“The police are currently conducting a large-scale search for the perpetrator,” the police said in a statement. They have mobilised a large number of forces around Solingen city centre, including special units. “Victims and witnesses are currently being questioned,” they added.
Police have also set up an online portal where witnesses can upload relevant information about the attack.
Police were alerted shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday that an unknown person had stabbed several people on the central square in Fronhof. Police said the attacker was on the run and that they had very little information about him so far.
They said they believed the knife attacks were carried out by a lone attacker and gave no information about the identities of the victims.
The “Diversity Festival,” marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was scheduled to run through Sunday, with several stages on central streets featuring attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
One of the festival’s organizers, Philipp Müller, took to the stage on Friday and asked festival-goers to “stay calm and keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the culprit has not been caught.” Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants and is located close to the larger cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator of the attack must be arrested quickly and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me deeply. An attacker killed several people in a brutal manner. I have just spoken with the mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and support their families,” Scholz said on X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke with the mayor of Solingen on Saturday morning.
“The heinous act in Solingen shocks me and our country. We mourn the victims and are concerned for the injured. I wholeheartedly wish them strength and a speedy recovery,” Steinmeier said in a statement Saturday.
“The perpetrator must be brought to justice. Let us unite against hatred and violence.”
There are concerns about the rise in knife violence in Germany, and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently proposed tightening gun laws to allow only knives with blades up to 6 centimetres (nearly 2.4 inches) to be carried in public, rather than the current 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) length.
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Liechtenstein reported from Vienna.
