A day after three people got killed and eight others injured, when an unidentified man went on a stabbing spree at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, police had launched a massive search hunt for the attacker. Police confirmed the arrest of a 15-year-old in connection with the incident.
According to the police, special units were deployed in different parts of the city as part of the operation. An online portal was also established where the witnesses can upload any information relevant to the attack.
The police received the alert about the stabbing incident by around 9:30 pm on Friday. They also added that they had only thin information about the attacker as of now. “We are questioning the witnesses and victims’ families to gather more information,” said the police.
The stabbings seemed to be carried out by a lone attacker.
The knife attack took place during the ‘The Festival of Diversity’, marking the city's 650th anniversary, which began on Friday. The programmes were supposed to go on till Sunday with several stages in central streets offering live music and acrobatics.
Located near the cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf, Solingen has about 1,60,000 residents.
While condemning the attack, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the perpetrator of the attack must be caught quickly and punished under the law.
"The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families,” said Scholz.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke to the mayor of Solingen on Saturday and inquired about the investigation.
“The heinous act in Solingen shocks me and our country. We mourn those killed and worry about those injured and I wish them strength and a speedy recovery from all my heart," Steinmeier said in a statement.