Knife Attack at Solingen Festival Leaves 3 Dead, 8 Injured; Manhunt Underway

Knife Attack at Solingen Festival Leaves 3 Dead, 8 Injured; Manhunt Underway

A large-scale manhunt is ongoing in Solingen, Germany, after a deadly knife attack at the Festival of Diversity on Friday night left three people dead and at least eight others wounded, five of them seriously.

Authorities were alerted to the attack around 9:30 p.m. at Fronhof, a central square in Solingen, where an unidentified assailant stabbed multiple people before fleeing the scene. Local police have since mobilized special units and increased their presence across the city in an effort to apprehend the attacker.

“The police are conducting a large-scale search for the perpetrator,” officials said in a statement, adding that witnesses and victims are currently being questioned. Details about the attacker remain scarce, with police believing the suspect acted alone, though no information on the identities of the victims has been released.

The knife attack took place during Solingen’s 650th-anniversary celebration, which included live performances and cultural displays. The Festival of Diversity was scheduled to continue until Sunday, but the shocking incident has left the city of 160,000 residents, near Cologne and Düsseldorf, in mourning.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her shock over the attack, stating, “We are deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the city festival in Solingen. Our security authorities are doing everything possible to catch the perpetrator and uncover the motives behind this attack.”

The attack comes amid growing concern over rising knife violence in Germany. Faeser has recently called for stricter weapon laws, including reducing the legal length of knives allowed in public from 12 centimeters to 6 centimeters.

Police are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity as the search for the attacker continues.