After a knife attack at a festival killed and wounded several people in the German city of Solingen, authorities are still searching for the suspect.
At least three people are confirmed dead, and the event, billed as the “Festival of Diversity,” has been canceled. The festival’s purpose was to celebrate Solingen’s 650th anniversary.
At a news conference on Saturday, authorities said they had not ruled out that it was a terrorist attack because no other explanation for the seemingly random violence made sense. They’ve detained a 15-year-old boy who may have had prior knowledge of the attack but aren’t treating him as a suspect.
The attack began shortly after 9:30 p.m. Friday, with the attacker stabbing people during a live music performance. The police believe that the attacker chose victims from the crowd at random and that he appeared to target at least one of the victims’ necks.
The knife-wielding suspect killed three people and injured eight others. Four of the injured are still in critical condition.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacted to the “brutal” attack on X.
“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly,” he said. “An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families.”
“I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he continued. “The perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the full extent of the law.”
Nearby towns have canceled festivals. Police have declined to make public any details about the suspect, but did raid the house of the 15-year-old, who was seen communicating with the suspect before the crime.
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Solingen is called the “City of Blades” for its craftsmanship of fine swords, knives, scissors, and razors.
It also houses more than 150,000 people and is the capital of the most populous German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
