| 2024 Solingen stabbing | |
|---|---|
  2024 Solingen stabbing (North Rhine-Westphalia)  2024 Solingen stabbing (Germany)  2024 Solingen stabbing (Europe) | |
| Location | Fronhof marketplace, Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Date | 23 August 2024 c. 21:40 (UTC+2) |
| Target | Solingen 650th anniversary festival, named the Festival of Diversity |
Attack type | Mass stabbing |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injured | 8 |
On the evening of 23 August 2024, a mass stabbing took place during a festival celebrating the 650th anniversary of Solingen, Germany, when a Syrian man armed with a knife killed three people and injured eight others. The public prosecutor accused the suspect of being motivated by "radical Islamist convictions".[1][2] The attacker is also suspected of being a member of Islamic State,[3] which claimed responsibility for the attack.[3][4][5]
Following the attack, a 24-hour manhunt ensued,[4][6] which ended with police arresting the suspect, whose behaviour and appearance had struck them as suspicious.[7] During the search, residents were advised to stay vigilant.[8]
The suspect, a 26-year-old Sunni Muslim from Deir ez-Zor, Syria,[6][4] arrived in Germany in 2022.[9] His asylum application was rejected, and although he was ordered to be deported to Bulgaria—where he had previously applied for asylum—authorities were unable to locate him, during which time he remained in Germany.[9]
The stabbing has intensified the migration debate in Germany, prompting some politicians to advocate for stricter border controls and a suspension of refugee admissions.[9] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz characterised the attack as "terrorism against us all" and stressed the need for his government to expedite repatriation and deportation.[9]
- ^ "Haftbefehl gegen ein mutmaßliches Mitglied der ausländischen terroristischen Vereinigung "Islamischer Staat (IS)" wegen des Messerangriffs in Solingen erlassen und in Vollzug gesetzt". Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof (in German). 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "The suspect in the Germany attack was motivated by Islamic State group ideology, prosecutors say". Associated Press. 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ a b Schuetze, Christopher F. (25 August 2024). "German Prosecutor Says Islamic State Terrorist Link Is Suspected in Festival Stabbings". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Inverardi, Matthias; Sims, Tom; Wagner, Rene (24 August 2024). "German police arrest suspect in stabbing rampage". Reuters. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sueddeutsche_20240826was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Messerattacke von Solingen: Polizei nimmt mutmaßlichen Attentäter fest" [Knife attack in Solingen: police arrests alleged assassin]. Der Spiegel (in German). 24 August 2024. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
zeit_20240905was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Brown, Benjamin; Regan, Helen; Schmidt, Nadine; Tanno, Sophie; Kennedy, Niamh (24 August 2024). "German police yet to identify attacker who stabbed 3 to death at festival despite major manhunt". CNN News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Solingen attack: Germany's Olaf Scholz vows crackdown on illegal migration". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.