Police in Germany are hunting for a knifeman after three people were killed and eight were injured, including five seriously, in a mass stabbing at a diversity festival.
Police launched a large-scale manhunt overnight for the perpetrator, who started attacking people at shortly after 9.30pm on Friday as thousands gathered at the central square in Solingen, west Germany, for a festival to mark the city’s 650th anniversary.
“The police are currently conducting a large-scale search for the perpetrator,” police said in a statement on Saturday morning.
They have assembled a large number of forces around Solingen city centre, including special units.
“Both victims and witnesses are currently being questioned,” they added.
Police said the perpetrator, believed to have been a lone attacker, was on the run.
The Festival of Diversity began on Friday and was to run until Sunday, with several stages in central streets offering live music, cabaret and acrobatics. Authorities cancelled the remainder of the weekend event.
Party atmosphere rapidly turned to shock
The party atmosphere among festival-goers turned to shock within minutes after the attack unfolded, according to local reports.
The local newspaper Solinger Tageblatt quoted Celine Derikartz, its reporter covering the festival, as saying that she saw festival-goers weeping as news of the horror spread.
One of the festival organisers, Philipp Müller, appeared on stage and asked attendees to “go calmly”, adding: “Please keep your eyes open because unfortunately the perpetrator hasn’t been caught.”
He said many people had been wounded by “a knifeman”.
Amy-Clare Martin24 August 2024 09:37
Chancellor calls for attacker to face full force of the law
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator of a stabbing rampage in the western town of Solingen must be caught quickly.
“The perpetrator must be quickly caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” he said in a post on X.
The country’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said security authorities were doing everything they could to catch the person and investigate the background to the attack.
Amy Clare-Martin24 August 2024 09:25
Video: Manhunt underway for attacker
Streets in Solingen were closed off as emergency teams responded to the mass stabbing on Friday night.
Investigators in forensic suits were seen scouring the city’s streets as tents were put up.
Police are continuing to hunt for perpetrator on Saturday morning.
Amy-Clare Martin24 August 2024 09:21
Where did the attack happen?
The tragedy unfolded at a festival in Solingen’s central square, the Fronhof, where thousands were gathered for a festival.
The Festival of Diversity, marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was to run until Sunday, with several stages in central streets offering live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
Solingen has about 160,000 residents and is near the bigger cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf.
“We are deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the city festival in Solingen,” German interior minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement on Saturday.
“Our security authorities are doing everything they can to catch the perpetrator and establish the background to the attack.”
Authorities cancelled the remainder of the weekend event.
Amy-Clare Martin24 August 2024 09:10
Manhunt continues on Saturday after Friday night horror
German police are still searching for an unknown assailant hours after he killed three people and wounded others in a stabbing attack at a festival in the western city of Solingen.
Eight were injured, five of them seriously, the police said in a statement early on Saturday. That is up from the four serious injuries the police reported earlier.
“Both victims and witnesses are currently being questioned. The police are currently searching for the perpetrator with a large team,” police said.
The incident occurred around 9:40 pm on Friday, when the man attacked multiple people with a knife, the police said.
Amy-ClareMartin24 August 2024 09:06