The person responsible for the massacre that occurred on the evening of Friday, August 23 in Solingen, Germany, where three people were killed and eight others injured in a knife attack, is still on the loose. In a press conference with journalists, German police confirmed that they had arrested a 15-year-old boy and are investigating whether or not he is linked to the attack. The teenager was heard having a suspicious conversation with another person shortly before the attack. Despite hearing various testimonies, investigators indicated that it was not yet possible to reveal the identity of the wanted man. According to some rumours of PictureThe police are looking for a man between 20 and 30 years old, 1.70-1.75 centimeters tall. The man in question is said to have a well-groomed, thick beard, an athletic physique and to be wearing black clothing and a balaclava.
The arrest of the 15-year-old
The 15-year-old boy reported by a witness was arrested this morning by the police while he was in his parents' apartment. According to what was stated by the police and German media, the young man's profile does not match that of the attacker, but the police are trying to understand whether he is in any way connected to what happened last night. The 15-year-old was heard having a suspicious conversation with another person shortly before the stabbing in Solingen. It is not yet clear whether the conversation actually took place with the person responsible for the attack.
The Terrorism Trail
In the meantime, the possibility of a terrorist act cannot be ruled out, as one detail suggests: last night's images confirm that the attacker deliberately stabbed the victims in the throat. “At the moment, we classify the attack in Solingen as an attack, but we cannot yet classify it as a terrorist attack, because at the moment we do not know the reasons for this attack,” he said. The Press a spokesman for the Düsseldorf police. Three people died and eight were injured in the attack. The man ran into the crowd and fled after being injured by police. He performed at the Diversity Festival celebration for the 650th anniversary of the city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Police are still looking for him.
Looking for the attacker
The suspicion falls on a man who is probably Arab and the police do not rule out a terrorist motive. After the attack, the scene was “largely cordoned off”. The festival, which was supposed to last until Sunday, was interrupted. The attack began at 9:45 p.m. in Fronhof in the centre of Solingen. At that time, live music was playing on the stage of the party. The victims were a woman and two men from Solingen and Düsseldorf. The man is said to have deliberately pointed the knife at his victims' necks, which leads the police to believe that it was a terrorist act and not an act of madness. There are now heavily armed units in the city with around 40 special vehicles from all over North Rhine-Westphalia. Traffic junctions have been closed and residents have been asked to stay at home and avoid the city centre. A crisis unit has been temporarily set up in a bar.
Scholz: “Catch the person responsible quickly”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also spoke out during the day, writing about the incident: “The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that saddens me deeply. The perpetrator must be arrested quickly and punished with the utmost severity.” A little later, a comment also arrived from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also from Germany: “I am deeply shocked by the brutal and insidious attack in Solingen. My thoughts are with the families of the dead and injured, to whom I wish a speedy recovery. We must clarify the background to this crime as quickly as possible.”
Cover: Law enforcement tents at the crime scene in Solingen, Germany, August 24, 2024 (EPA/Volker Hartmann)
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