- Five men were injured, some seriously, with a machete in and in front of an apartment building in the city of St. Gallen on Thursday evening.
- Spilled flammable liquid and gas were found in the apartment of the alleged offender.
- The alleged offender was known to the police as a “mentally disturbed man” and he was arrested.
A man attacked several people in the stairwell of an apartment building on Thursday evening around 9:30 p.m. According to the cantonal police, the attacker used a machete to suddenly attack a heavily pregnant woman who wanted to visit her father, who lived in the house. When the father wanted to help his daughter, he was attacked and badly injured.
Attack attack toddler
Other neighbors became aware of the crime and followed the man outside. It was then that the attacker injured a woman and her child. Police spokesman Hanspeter Krüsi confirmed this to Radio SRF. The alleged perpetrator was also injured when two neighbors held him down.
According to the cantonal police, no one’s life is in danger anymore. “All the injured were operated on, including the child,” says Krüsi. “The alleged accused has been released from hospital and is now in police custody.”
Evacuation of a block of flats due to risk of explosion
The police responded with a large contingent and were finally able to arrest the man. The fire brigade was also involved due to the risk of explosion, as it was discovered that there was a flammable liquid and gas spilled in the apartment of the attacker. Evacuate the entire house.
Legend:
The police, the fire brigade and rescue workers were at the scene of the crime in the city of St Gallen with a large contingent.
News SRF/BRK
It is not clear what the alleged perpetrator intended to do with the liquid and gas. And as an integral part of the further investigations, police spokesman Krüsi continued. «When you see this situation, you can not imagine what happened. If there had been a spark, we would have suffered even more, with a fire or an explosion in this apartment building.
The St. Gallen cantonal police, led by the cantonal public prosecutor’s office, are now investigating the background and course of the violent act. The police rule a relationship crime or a family dispute. “The man’s motive at this point is pure speculation,” says Krüsi. The police already knew the alleged offender: “He was mentally disturbed, but he had no criminal record.”