On the evening of 23 August , a mass stabbing took place in Solingen , North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in which three people were killed and eight were injured. Following the attack, a hour manhunt ensued, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] which ended with police arresting the suspect, a year-old Syrian refugee. The public prosecutor accused the suspect of being motivated by "radical Islamist convictions".
The stabbing has intensified the migration debate in Germany , prompting some politicians to advocate for stricter border controls and a suspension of refugee admissions. The attack occurred during an event called the Festival of Diversity Festival der Vielfalt , [ 10 ] a three-day event from 23 to 25 August celebrating Solingen's th anniversary. Interior minister Nancy Faeser earlier in August told public broadcaster ARD that more stringent restrictions were needed on knives in public places, with exceptions only for household knives in closed packaging that have just been bought.
The attack occurred around in front of the main stage during an ongoing performance by a local band. A man stabbed several people, with the majority suffering wounds to the neck. Three were killed and eight others were injured. North Rhine-Westphalia Police immediately considered the possibility of terrorism as a motive for the attack and believed they were dealing with a single attacker.
Armed officers were on site, having cordoned off large sections of the city, with barriers in place across various locations. Road junctions were blocked, and residents were advised to stay indoors and avoid the city center.
In the same video, the man professes that the attack was committed as a vengeance act for the killings of Muslims in Syria, Bosnia, Iraq, and Palestine with "support of Zionists". Due security concerns, the remainder of the festival was canceled, [ 1 ] as were coinciding celebrations in the neighbouring towns Hilden and Haan. The teenager is not the primary suspect but is alleged to have known about the attack without reporting it to authorities.
