Three people were killed and five others seriously injured in a knife attack at a German festival. According to the police, the perpetrator fled the scene and is still at large. Authorities believe the attack was carried out by a lone assailant. The stabbings reportedly occurred at random in a market square in the western city of Solingen on Friday, where live bands were performing.
The region’s top security official Herbert Reul, visited the scene in the early hours of Saturday and stated that it was a targeted attack on human life, though he declined to speculate on the motive.
The attack took place during the Festival of Diversity, which began on Friday to celebrate the 650th anniversary of the city, which has a population of 160,000.
The event was scheduled to run through Sunday, featuring various attractions such as live music, cabaret, and acrobatics across several stages in the city.
Solingen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, which borders the Netherlands.
The German government has been working to toughen regulations on the length of knives allowed in public. In June, a 29-year-old policeman was fatally stabbed in Mannheim during an attack at a right-wing demonstration.