Man Arrested for Stabbing at German Festival
Police arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the fatal stabbings of three people at a festival in Solingen, Germany.
The suspect, a Syrian asylum seeker, confessed to the attack when he turned himself in to the police. The Dusseldorf Police and the prosecutor’s office are now thoroughly investigating his involvement.
After the knife attack, which left three dead and eight injured (with four in critical condition), police initially detained two individuals. One was a 15-year-old. However, North Rhine-Westphalia’s interior minister clarified that the actual perpetrator was the man who had just been arrested.
A 67-year-old man, a 56-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman lost their lives during the incident at Solingen’s “Festival of Diversity,” celebrating its 650th anniversary.
During the chaos, DJ Tobias Topic continued playing music to prevent panic, as instructed by security. But his set ended after 15 minutes.
ISIS, through its news agency, claimed the attacker targeted Christians and acted as an Islamic State soldier. German police are still verifying these claims and noted the suspect aimed for the victims’ necks.
“This evening we are all in shock, horror and great sadness in Solingen. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now we have to mourn dead and injured people,” Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach wrote on social media. He expressed his sorrow, saying he had “tears in [his] eyes” for those who perished.
Recently, there have been similar violent events. One occurred at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance event in England, and another was a foiled terror plot in Vienna that led to the cancellation of Swift’s concerts there.
Fans are deeply saddened by these tragedies.
