The German police announced today that they are still searching for the perpetrator of the knife attack on passersby during the festival in the city of Solingen, in western Germany, which resulted in the deaths of three people – a woman and two men – and the injury of eight others.
In a statement issued early this morning, the police mentioned that of the eight injured, five are in serious condition.
“Victims and eyewitnesses are being interviewed. A large police team is currently searching for the perpetrator,” the police noted.
The attack occurred around 9:40 PM local time (10:40 PM Greek time) yesterday, Friday, when an unknown man—with “Arab features,” according to eyewitnesses cited by the newspaper Bild—attacked several people with a knife, according to the police.
“Terrorist Act”
The German authorities are now classifying yesterday’s knife attack on passersby during the festival as a “terrorist act” rather than an “act of amok.”
According to Chief Inspector Sascha Cresta, the perpetrator did not choose his victims as it was a “blind” attack.
“Reinforced police forces are searching for the perpetrator. We are determined to apprehend him. At the same time, forensic investigations and witness testimonies are ongoing,” Mr. Cresta stated, adding that three of those attacked were not injured but are in shock.
“We don’t want to believe what we are seeing here at the crime scene. It is tragic. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and the injured. All we can do now is pray for the critically injured to recover,” said the Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, during a press conference held jointly with Inspector Cresta in Düsseldorf.
