Knife attack at 'festival of diversity' in Germany leaves 3 dead, 4 injured, attacker escapes and remains unidentified

Claire Gilbody Dickerson
Sky News
Fri, 23 Aug 2024 23:03 UTC

© AP

Armed police and ambulances gather in Solingen, Germany.

Three people have been killed and four were seriously injured in a knife attack at a German festival, police have said.

They added the perpetrator of the attack on festivalgoers in the western city of Solingen was on the run, German news agency dpa reported.

Police confirmed it was a knife attack in a post on X. The attack happened on a central square, the Fronhof.

Passers-by were stabbed at random, according to Bild, in an attack reported to have started at about 9:45pm local time.

The local Solinger Tageblatt newspaper reported that one of the festival organisers, Philipp Muller, said on a stage that emergency workers were fighting for the lives of nine people.

According to AP, he asked festivalgoers to "go calmly; please keep yours eyes open, because unfortunately the perpetrator hasn't been caught".

He said many people had been wounded by "a knifeman".

According to Sky News' European correspondent Siobhan Robbins, a police operation in the area is still ongoing.

People had gathered for the Festival of Diversity which started on Friday to mark the 650th anniversary of the 160,000-strong city.

It was supposed to run through to Sunday, with several stages in the city offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.

The festival has now been stopped and people have been told to leave the area, Robbins said.

Solingen is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state and bordering the Netherlands.

'It breaks my heart'

The city's mayor, Tim Kurzbach, said he would be praying for the victims.

In a Facebook post, he said "this evening, we in Solingen are all in shock. We all wanted to celebrate our city's anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament".

He added: "It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened."

Comment: There has been a surge in seemingly random knife attacks of date, particularly across the West, and there doesn't appear to be any thread, such as a motive, that the perpetrators share. Except for perhaps that the majority appear to be disturbed, and seemingly susceptible, whether that be to the propaganda media, the general malaise that's affecting the planet, or the 'authorities' whom some of them were known to:

• Ireland: Army chaplain stabbed multiple times, police investigate potential 'terrorism' motive
• 15th April Bishop and 3 worshipers attacked with knife on livestream in Sydney Orthodox church, comes just 48 hours after mall attack
• UK: 11-year-old girl stabbed 8 times in tourist spot, Romanian attacker disarmed by security guard of Pakistani descent
• 17-year-old kills 3 children in frenzied knife attack at family centre in Southport, UK - 6 more wounded
• Israel: Mother murders 6-year-old son at home, attacks mall security guard with axe

• Australia: Mother kills 10-year-old daughter by slashing her throat, posted disturbed 'religious' TikToks hours earlier
• ANOTHER knife attack targeting Germany's right wing: AfD candidate stabbed during confrontation over election poster
• Australian police shoot dead 16-year-old boy after he stabbed a man - attacker was known to authorities and WARNED them day before incident

• Paris: Policeman attacked with knife by migrant who is then shot dead, amidst heightened security a week before Olympics
• Samurai wielding woman savagely attacks 3 in LA; woman shoots baby at point blank range on street in Philadelphia
• 13th April Sydney mall knife attack: 6 dead, several wounded, incl. baby, perpetrator was known to authorities