Three dead in Solingen

Clue portal should lead to fugitive terrorist

(Bild: APA/dpa/Christoph Reichwein)

One day after the attack at the city festival in Solingen, Germany, the shock runs deep. Shortly before 10 p.m., a man stabbed visitors indiscriminately with a knife. It has now been confirmed: The fatalities were a woman and two men from Solingen and Düsseldorf. There is still no trace of the perpetrator - the police are urgently looking for witnesses.

The perpetrator - an Arab-looking man according to witnesses - allegedly stabbed his victims in the neck during the attack. However, investigators have not confirmed this.

In addition to the three fatalities, eight other people were injured. Five of them seriously, as the police in the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital of Düsseldorf announced on Saturday morning.

Attack took place in front of a stage
According to "Bild", the attacker struck directly in front of the stage, which was set up at Fronhof, a square in Solingen's city center. This was set up especially for the city festival so that live bands could perform there.

It was Solingen's 650th city birthday - under the motto "Festival of Diversity".

The perpetrator was eventually able to disappear into the crowd during the commotion. "The attacker is being searched for by a large contingent and we are determined to arrest the perpetrator. But investigations, securing evidence and questioning witnesses are also running in parallel," explained Chief Inspector Sascha Kresta, spokesman for the Wuppertal police.

Police ask for photos and videos
The search is now on for witnesses who observed the attack in particular, where the perpetrator may have fled to and whether he used a bicycle or car as a getaway vehicle. Visitors who took photos or cell phone videos that evening are asked to upload them to a tip portal on the Internet. 

The police are asking for photos and videos of the crime scene:

The city festival came to an abrupt end after the attack, with a police helicopter circling over the cordoned-off area. Intersections were also closed by emergency services.

City residents were urged to stay indoors and avoid the city center. The police set up a temporary situation center in a café.

Despite the shocking incident, there was no panic - thousands of festival-goers left the square without panic breaking out. "People were shocked, but left the square peacefully," explained one of the co-organizers, Philipp Müller. The city had expected around 80,000 visitors for the three-day festival.