A suspect in German police custody following a knife attack in the city of Solingen that killed three people and injured eight is a 26-year-old Syrian man.
The suspect came from a refugee home in Solingen that was searched on Saturday, North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul said, as authorities continue to investigate possible links to Islamic State.
Der Spiegel magazine, citing unnamed security sources, said the suspect had moved to Germany in late 2022 and had applied for asylum.
He was seen today being dragged to his appearance at the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) in Karlsruhe, Germany, by federal police officers who took him to the southwestern court by helicopter.
The attack took place during a festival on Friday evening at the Fronhof market square, where bands were performing live to celebrate Solingen’s 650-year history. Mourners have built a makeshift memorial near the site.
The tragic incident, along with the militant group’s claim of responsibility, has raised concerns among some politicians who have called for tighter security, stricter gun restrictions, harsher punishments for violent crime and limits on immigration.
The suspect (pictured, centre) was seen being dragged to his appearance at the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) in Karlsruhe, Germany, today by federal police officers.
The suspect came from a refugee home in Solingen that was searched on Saturday, North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul said.
The suspect was seen being dragged to his appearance at the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) in Karlsruhe, Germany, today by federal police officers, who took him to the southwestern court by helicopter.
Next to flowers and candles, a sign is placed that reads: “We just wanted to celebrate, but death came.”
Forensic police inspect the area where at least three people were killed and several others injured when a man attacked them with a knife on the evening of August 23, 2024 in Solingen in the early morning of August 24, 2024.
The suspect turned himself in on Saturday evening and admitted to the crime, Düsseldorf police and prosecutors said in a joint statement on Sunday morning.
“The involvement of this person is currently the subject of intensive investigation,” they said.
Friedrich Merz, a prominent politician who leads the centre-right opposition CDU party, urged the country to stop admitting more refugees from Syria and Afghanistan.
“Enough is enough!” he said in a letter on his website.
German federal prosecutors have taken over the case and are investigating whether the suspect was a member of Islamic State, a spokesman for the prosecutors said.
The group described the man who carried out the attack as an “Islamic State soldier” in a statement on its Telegram account on Saturday.
An ambulance and police stand on August 24, 2024 near the site where at least three people were killed and several others injured.
A sign reading “Why?” stands among flowers and tributes placed on a sidewalk near the scene of the knife attack, in Solingen, Germany
Candles and flowers and the inscription “Why? You are not alone” are pictured on the evening of August 24, 2024 near the spot where three people were killed and several others injured.
Forensic police inspect the scene where at least three people were killed and several others injured when a man attacked them with a knife on the evening of August 23, 2024 in Solingen on August 24, 2024.
No evidence was provided for this claim and no details were immediately available about the suspect’s possible membership in the group.
Hendrik Wuest, the prime minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Solingen is located, on Saturday called the attack an act of terrorism.
Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said there have been around a dozen Islamist-motivated attacks since 2000. One of the largest was in 2016, when a Tunisian man drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens.
“The risk of jihadist-motivated acts of violence remains high. The Federal Republic of Germany remains a direct target of terrorist organisations,” the BKA said in a report earlier this year.