A tragic incident unfolded at a festival in Solingen, Germany, on Friday night, resulting in the death of three individuals and leaving several others injured. The assailant, armed with a knife, managed to escape the scene and remains at large.
The attack took place around 9:30 p.m. during the “Festival of Diversity,” a three-day event celebrating the 650th anniversary of Solingen’s founding. The incident occurred near the stage while a musical performance was underway, as per police reports.
Philipp Müller, one of the festival organizers, addressed the crowd from the stage, urging them to remain calm and vigilant as the attacker was still at large. The festival was subsequently cancelled following the incident.
According to officials, three people lost their lives in the stabbing, while up to six others sustained serious injuries. Herbert Reul, the region’s top security official, confirmed these details early Saturday.
Authorities are of the belief that the attack was carried out by a single individual. However, they have limited information on the suspect. Reul, who serves as the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, expressed his uncertainty about the motive behind the attack and the identity of the assailant.
The area surrounding the festival was cordoned off from Friday into Saturday. The remaining two days of the festival were cancelled in the wake of the tragedy. Solingen’s Mayor, Tim Kurzbach, expressed his shock and sorrow over the incident on social media.
Solingen, home to approximately 160,000 residents, is situated near the larger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf. This incident comes on the heels of another tragic event at a different festival just a week prior, where a ferris wheel caught fire at the Highfield Festival in Leipzig, injuring up to 30 people.