Simply went underground

Now official: investigation on suspicion of terrorism

After the deadly attack on Friday during the city festival in Solingen, the federal prosecutor's office has taken over the case - the 26-year-old Syrian arrested is being investigated for murder and suspected terrorism. Explosive: the suspect was already due to be deported last year.

The attack cost three people their lives, eight people were injured, some seriously, four of them critically. Now the Federal Public Prosecutor General Jens Rommel has taken over the case: the arrested Syrian Issa al H. is now being investigated on suspicion of triple murder, multiple attempted murder and membership of the IS terrorist group.

Asylum decision rejected: Syrian went into hiding
As reported by n-tv.de, the Syrian's asylum application had already been rejected last year - he should have been deported to Bulgaria. This was the country that H. had first entered and which was responsible for his asylum procedure.

However, the 26-year-old went into hiding for six months. When he then contacted the authorities again, he was placed in refugee accommodation in Solingen. Because the deadline for deportation had passed, he was granted "subsidiary protection" by the Federal Office for Migration, according to Bild.

Syrian to be brought before investigating judge on Sunday
The 26-year-old was transferred to Karlsruhe on Sunday, where he was brought before an investigating judge so that he could decide whether to remand him in custody. 

The young Syrian turned himself in to the police late on Saturday evening. He was wearing dirty, bloodstained clothing and is said to have confessed to the attack when he was arrested. 

IS: "Gathering of Christians" targeted
The terrorist militia IS claimed responsibility for the attack - in a statement on Saturday evening, it said that H. was "a soldier of IS". The attack was carried out out of "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere". According to the statement, a "gathering of Christians" was targeted. The terrorist militia has not yet provided any evidence of this.

Suspect declared: "I am the one you are looking for"
A witness reported that the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) while randomly stabbing at bystanders. The attacker was initially able to disappear into the crowd during the commotion. After hiding in a backyard for a day, he approached police officers in the pouring rain and declared: "I am the one you are looking for."