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Suspect arrested in stabbing attack at German festival

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Police at the scene (Credit: DW)

A 26-year-old Syrian refugee has been arrested in connection with Friday’s mass stabbing at a festival in western Germany, according to local officials, ending a day-long manhunt for the killer.

The suspect, 26-year-old Issa al H., was drenched from the pouring rain and still covered in blood when he walked up to police officers around 11 p.m. on Saturday, telling them: “I’m the one you’re looking for.” He was immediately taken into custody.

H. had apparently been hiding in the backyard of a home since Friday night’s attack, according to local media. Der Spiegel reported that the suspect arrived in Germany in 2022 and applied for asylum. He was allowed to stay because of Syria’s civil war.

Details about a possible motive were not immediately released and H. was not known as an Islamist to intelligence agencies, according to Bild. Earlier on Saturday, the Islamic State group (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Friday’s attack happened during the Festival of Diversity, a three-day event to mark the 650th founding anniversary of Solingen, a city in western Germany. The stabbings happened close to the stage where DJ Topic was performing at the time.

Three people were killed in the attack and eight others were injured, including four who were reportedly in critical condition. The fatalities were identified as a 56-year-old woman and two men aged 56 and 67. All were from the local area.

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