German police have arrested a 15-year-old who may have known about the plans before the knife attack in Solingen. Three people were killed when an assailant attacked individuals at a city festival.
Police special forces have been deployed in the search for the perpetrator behind the knife attack on Friday evening. In addition to the deceased, eight people were injured, five of them seriously.
A weapon that may have been used in the attack has been found in a garbage can in the city center, investigators reported on Saturday.
– We have not been able to determine a motive, but given the circumstances, we believe that a terrorist motive cannot be ruled out, said prosecutor Markus Caspers at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
According to the police, there were no threats or warnings prior to the attack. The assailant allegedly stabbed or cut the victims in the neck, according to police.
Police actions ongoing
According to the police, the boy was arrested in connection with a house search on Saturday. Caspers told the French news agency AFP that the perpetrator has not been identified and is still at large.
He stated that the 15-year-old is suspected of having had contact with the attacker.
In a statement, German police announced that various police actions are ongoing in the case.
The attack occurred at Fronhof, a square in the city center where a concert stage had been set up. Police operations leader Thorsten Fleiss reported that the deceased were a 56-year-old man, a 67-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman.
City anniversary
The city of Solingen is celebrating its 650th anniversary this weekend, and 80,000 visitors were expected, according to Bild. The celebration has been temporarily suspended following the incident.
On behalf of the organizers, Philipp Müller announced from the stage that medical personnel were working to save the lives of nine people.
Solingen has just over 160,000 inhabitants and is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, east of Düsseldorf.
– Tonight, we are all in Solingen affected by shock, fear, and great sorrow, wrote Mayor Tim Kurzbach on the city’s Facebook page after the attack.