Three people were killed and four others severely injured in a knife attack during a festival in Solingen, a city in western Germany, on Friday night.
The search for the suspect continued into Saturday morning, with local authorities expanding their efforts beyond Solingen.
A spokesperson for the police in Duesseldorf stated early Saturday that the manhunt had widened, involving several roadblocks around Solingen and neighbouring areas.
“We have not yet identified the suspect, and we’re appealing for any information, including photos and videos from the public,” the spokesperson told AFP.
Following the attack, which occurred at a festival celebrating Solingen’s 650th anniversary, there was a significant police presence at the scene.
According to the AFP, the special forces and a helicopter were deployed as part of the operation. The suspect is reported to have “stabbed people indiscriminately,” according to *Bild* newspaper.
Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, the mayor of Solingen, expressed his deep sorrow in a statement posted online, saying the city was in “shock, horror, and great grief.”
He added, “We all wanted to celebrate our town’s anniversary together, and now we are mourning the dead and the injured.”
Kurzbach also commended the emergency services for their quick response and extended his sympathies to those affected by the incident.
“It tears my heart apart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost. I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives,” he said.
Hendrik Wuest, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, expressed his dismay over the attack, calling it “an act of the most brutal and senseless violence.”
In a statement on social media platform X, Wuest said, “The whole of North Rhine-Westphalia stands by the people of Solingen, especially the victims and their families.”
The festival, which was to run for three days and featured music, street theatre, and other performances, was immediately cancelled following the attack. Up to 75,000 visitors had been expected to attend the event.
The *Solinger Tageblatt* reported that one of the festival’s organisers announced the cancellation on stage, urging attendees to leave the city centre.
Witnesses described the aftermath as eerie and surreal. Lars Breitzke, who was near the stage when the attack occurred, said he noticed something was wrong from the expression on the singer’s face.
“Then, a metre away from me, a person fell,” he said, initially thinking it was due to drunkenness. It wasn’t until he turned around that he saw multiple people on the ground and “several pools of blood.”
The rest of the festival was subsequently called off, with organiser Philipp Mueller informing artists and vendors of the decision. “People left the scene in shock, but calmly,” Mueller told the *Solinger Tageblatt*.
This incident is the latest in a series of knife attacks in Germany over the past year, prompting Interior Minister Nancy Faeser to vow stricter measures against knife crime.
In a separate incident in May, a police officer was killed and five others injured during a knife attack at a far-right rally in Mannheim.
