Reuters noted that So far, there is no confirmation that the attack was carried out by someone linked to the so-called Islamic State.. The statement did not identify the perpetrator of the crime.
However, German services had not previously ruled out that the attack could have had terrorist origins. We have not yet been able to identify the motive, but based on the overall circumstances we assume that a preliminary suspicion of a crime with terrorist motivation cannot be excluded. – said prosecutor Markus Caspers at a press conference in Wuppertal.
The newspaper “Welt am Sonntag” reported, citing an internal police report, that the alleged Solingen shooter he should shout “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) during his attack. The aforementioned Solingen police report stated that a witness injured in the crime claimed that the suspect was “known to Solingen” and was also a guest at the local mosque.
Meanwhile – as “Bild” has discovered – the police used large forces to search a center for asylum seekers in the city centerwhich is just 300 meters from the scene of the attack. “And 150 meters from the place where investigators found the suspected murder weapon on Saturday afternoon,” wrote the website of the daily “Bild”.
Earlier at 10pm it was reported that a second person had been detained in the building in question. “Bild” reported that it is being investigated whether the man is linked to the crime. Investigators are also questioning residents of the center.
3 people died and 8 were injured, including 4 seriously, as a result of a knife attack in Solingen. The incident occurred on Friday shortly before 10:00 p.m. A festival was being held there to celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary.
A man walked into the crowd during a concert on the Fronhof market square. He approached the people standing right in front of the stage and – as the “Bild” newspaper reports – he stabbed people, aiming precisely at the neck. Then, taking advantage of the confusion and panic, he fled. The search for him began.
Ambulances arrived at the scene. The media reported the dramatic struggle for the lives of the injured. A first aid center was quickly established in one of the nearby cafes.
The festival was immediately halted. Several thousand participants were asked to disperse peacefully.
The area was cordoned off, several dozen police officers with long guns appeared, and police helicopters flew over the city.
Nearby streets were closed and Solingen residents were urged to stay at home and away from the city center.
The new information was released on Saturday afternoon at a press conference in Wuppertal. As reported, police operations are underway throughout Germany, and especially in North Rhine-Westphalia, to capture the perpetrator.
According to police, the person arrested Saturday morning in connection with the case is a 15-year-old boy. However, he is not a suspect in the knife attack. The teenager is accused of failing to report planned crimes. Another person is said to have spoken to him before the crime about plans that “fit in” with the Solingen attack. Investigators assume that the crime was committed by one person.
The police are following many leads. The situation is changing from minute to minute. – said Duesseldorf police chief Thorsten Fleiss. There are many clues, but the police still don’t want to give details. – he emphasized.
During the conference, it was confirmed that they had died in the attack. two men, aged 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman.
