Knife Attack Leaves 3 Dead, 5 Seriously Injured in Germany

A tragic knife attack occurred on Friday night, August 23, 2024, during the "Festival of Diversity" in Solingen, Germany, which was celebrating the city's 650th anniversary.

The attack left at least three people dead and eight others injured, with five of the injuries being serious. The incident took place around 9:40 p.m. local time, and the assailant remains at large as of Saturday morning.

Eyewitnesses described the attacker as a lone man wielding a knife who appeared to indiscriminately target festival-goers. Düsseldorf police spokesperson Anja Kynast confirmed that the victims included one woman and two men.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his shock and sadness over the event, stating, "The perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the fullest extent of the law."

Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach shared his grief, saying, "We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now we have to mourn dead and injured people." He added that he had "tears in [his] eyes" over those lost and was praying for the people fighting for their lives.

Authorities have set up a portal for the public to share information and established a hotline. The festival, which was expected to draw about 75,000 people and feature live music, theater, cabaret, and acrobatics, has been canceled.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and officials urge against speculation. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul emphasized, "No one knows who the attacker is. We should not spread speculations now. There are simply no confirmed facts yet."

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser assured that security forces "are doing everything they can to catch the perpetrator and determine the background to the attack." The city of Solingen, located near Düsseldorf and Cologne, is home to about 160,000 people.