2024 Solingen stabbing

During the night of August 23, 2024, there was a man mass stabing of civilians in Solingen. A person killed three people with a knife. Eight others were wounded, five of these are in a critical condition.^[1]

The attack occurred at a festival marking the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen. The attack took place at about 9:40 PM local time, on a busy market square. DJ Topic, performing at the time of the attack, was asked by security to continue his set to prevent mass panic.^[2] After the stabbing, the festival was stopped.

Solingen lies between Düsseldorf and Cologne, in North-Rhine Westphalia. About 160,000 people live in the city.^[3] According to sources, the perpetrator was a man. He was armed with a knife, and aimed for the neck of the people. Two men, and one women were killed. Eight others were wounded, five of these are in a critical condition. After the attack, the perpetrator was able to flee. As there is no visible connection between the victims, the police suspect that this may have been a terrorist attack. The police also suspects that it was a single person who carried out the attack.^[4]

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that the perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to fullest extent of the law.^[4] The Islamic State (ISIS) released a statement on the messaging app Telegram on 24 August claiming responsibility. However, there is no proof so far that the group is involved.^[1]

A fifteen year-old teenager from Kyrgyzstan was arrested and questioned in connection with the events. The fifteen year old did not carry out the attack. People saw how the fifteen-year old talked to the attacker, shortly before the attack.^[5]

On the day after the attack, police arrested the 26-year-old Syrian suspect Issa al H. He had presented himself to officers of a patrol car, and told them he had been the attacker. His clothes were bloody and dirty, sources say. He arrived in Germany in December 2022 and was granted protection after a year as a refugee. He is from Deir ez-Zor. He is a Sunni Muslim. Authorities had not suspected him of Islamist ties.^[1][6]