A 26-year-old man has turned himself in and confessed to a mass knife attack at a street festival in Germany, according to police on Sunday.
Prosecutors and Düsseldorf police have stated that the man’s involvement is under intense investigation. He faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and alleged membership in a foreign terrorist organization, as reported by Germany’s federal prosecutor to the BBC.
The attack, which occurred in Solingen during a festival celebrating the city’s 650-year history, resulted in three deaths and eight injuries. Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the incident as a “horrific act.”
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday but has not yet provided evidence linking the attacker to the group.
The deceased include two men aged 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman. Four of the injured remain in serious condition, with all victims having been stabbed in the neck, according to police.
Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, announced late Saturday that the man they had been searching for all day had been apprehended. Reports from Bild and Spiegel news websites indicate that the suspect turned himself in wearing blood-stained clothes.
Police described him as Syrian, and German media reported that he arrived in Germany in December 2022, after leaving the war-torn country.
Bild reported that Special Task Force (SEK) officers stormed a refugee center that the suspect was associated with, detaining another person there.
Police also arrested a 15-year-old boy who is alleged to have known about the attack in advance.
The refugee center is located about 300m (984ft) from Fronhof-Solingen’s central market square where people were stabbed on Friday night – according to Bild.
Solingen – a city famous for its steel industry – has about 160,000 inhabitants. It lies about 25km (15 miles) east of Düsseldorf.
The city’s authorities asked people to leave the Fronhof area after the attack at about 22:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Friday.
The planned three-day celebrations of the city anniversary – for which about 75,000 people had been expected – were canceled after the attack.
Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach later said “all of us in Solingen are in shock, horror, and great sadness.
“It breaks my heart that an attack has happened in our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we’ve lost.
“I pray for all those still fighting for their lives. Also my greatest sympathy for all those who had to experience this, these images must have been horrific.”
People have been bringing flowers and candles to the site of the attack which shocked the entire country.
Players from Germany’s top Bundesliga football league wore black armbands during Saturday’s matches.
The attack may fuel an already fraught debate about immigration and asylum in Germany.
It comes ahead of key regional elections in the country’s east next week, where the far right is eyeing gains.
