Person detained after German police launch manhunt following knife attack that left three dead and five injured
24 August 2024, 13:26 | Updated: 24 August 2024, 14:01
A person has been detained in connection with a knife attack that left three dead and five injured at a German festival.
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The German force launched a "large scale" manhunt for the suspect overnight after the knifeman attacked people at random in Solingen at around 9.45pm on Friday evening.
Officers said they believe the attacker used a knife and plunged the blade into random passersby's necks, leaving three dead.
Police were pictured swarming the streets around the city to find the "brutal and senseless" killer as helicopters scoured overhead in search for the suspect.
The force said on Saturday afternoon that they had detained one person and were investigating the connection with Friday night's attack.
Solingen locals have been warned to stay vigilant as mourners began leaving flowers at the scene.
Read More: Three people dead and four injured in Germany after festival knife attack
Police believe the incident was carried out by a lone attacker.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released. It was reported that those killed included a woman and two men from Solingen and nearby Dusseldorf.
Footage from last night's scene showed armed police standing solemnly in darkness, only backlit by blue police lights, around the usually quiet square in the city.
The rampage began when festivalgoers jolted in horror when a man began stabbing attendees in the neck close to the stage.
One of the festival organisers, Philipp Muller, appeared on stage and asked festival-goers to "go calmly; please keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the perpetrator hasn't been caught".
He said many people had been wounded by "a knifeman".
Mayor Tim Kurzbach said in a Facebook post last night: "This evening, we in Solingen are all in shock.
"We all wanted to celebrate our city's anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament."It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened," he added.
The local newspaper Solinger Tageblatt quoted Celine Derikartz, its reporter covering the festival, as saying that a party atmosphere had turned to shock within minutes and she saw festival-goers weeping.
The Festival of Diversity, marking the city's 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was supposed to run through to Sunday, with several stages in central streets offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
One witness, Lars Breitzke, told local paper The Solinger Tageblatt that he knew something was wrong when he saw a performer with an odd expression on their face.
"And then a person fell over just a meter away from me," Breitzke said.
State Premier Hendrik Wüst said: "In these dark hours, the people of our state and beyond are with Solingen with their hearts and thoughts.
"An act of brutal and senseless violence has struck our state to the heart. The whole of North Rhine-Westphalia stands by the people of Solingen, especially the victims and their families.
"A big thank you goes to the many rescue workers and our police who are fighting for people’s lives at this very moment.”
People had gathered in their masses to celebrate the 650th anniversary of the 160,000-strong city, which is around 15 miles east of Düsseldorf.
Solingen has about 160,000 residents and is located near the bigger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.
Germany's top security official, interior minister Nancy Faeser, recently proposed toughening weapons laws to allow only knives with a blade measuring up to 6cm (nearly 2.4in) to be carried in public, rather than the length of 12cm (4.7in), which is allowed now.
