Nach der Messerattacke auf der 650-Jahr-Feier der Stadt Solingen mit drei Toten und acht Verletzten hat die Polizei am späten Samstagabend einen Tatverdächtigen festgenommen. Wie ein Sprecher des nordrhein-westfälischen Innenministeriums bestätigte, habe sich der Mann gestellt. „Spiegel“ und die Bild-Zeitung hatten zuvor berichtet, der Tatverdächtige habe sich einer Polizeistreife gestellt. Kurz zuvor hatte Nordrhein-Westfalens Innenminister Herbert Reul (CDU) den ARD-„Tagesthemen“ gesagt, der Verdächtige, den man den ganzen Tag über gesucht habe, sei am Abend in Gewahrsam genommen worden. Dabei handele es sich um eine Person, die man „im höchsten Maße“ verdächtige. „Aber das muss jetzt natürlich alles noch geprüft werden“, so Reul weiter.
Zuvor hatte die Terrororganisation „Islamischer Staat“ erklärt, für die Tat verantwortlich zu sein. Die Tat sei „als Rache für Muslime in Palästina und überall“ verübt worden, hieß es in einer Erklärung des IS im Kurznachrichtendienst Telegram. Einen Beleg dafür, dass der IS tatsächlich hinter dem Angriff steckt, wird nicht gegeben. Auch ein Beweis für einen Kontakt zwischen der Terrororganisation und dem Attentäter wird nicht geliefert.
Zudem kam es am Abend im Zusammenhang mit der Tat zu einem Polizeieinsatz in einer Flüchtlingsunterkunft in der Solinger Innenstadt, bei der eine Person festgenommen wurde. Eine Sprecherin der Polizei Düsseldorf, die den Einsatz leitet, bestätigte die Festnahme einer Person, die möglicherweise mit der Tat in Zusammenhang steht. Auch ein Spezialeinsatzkommando sei im Einsatz gewesen. Der Bereich werde von einer Hundertschaft abgesperrt. Am Nachmittag hatten die Ermittler mitgeteilt, „dass der Anfangsverdacht einer terroristisch motivierten Tat nicht ausgeschlossen werden kann.“ Sollte sich das bestätigen, übernimmt der Generalbundesanwalt die Ermittlungen.
Faeser: Lassen uns nicht spalten
Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser (SPD) betonte am Samstagabend in Solingen die Unterstützung der Bundesregierung für die Stadt und das Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen. „Wir lassen uns in solchen Zeiten nicht spalten, sondern stehen zusammen. Wir lassen es nicht zu, dass ein solch furchtbarer Anschlag die Gesellschaft spaltet“, sagte die Ministerin am Solinger Rathaus. „Wir als Bundesregierung tun alles, um hier vor Ort zu unterstützen.“
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) described the knife attack by the perpetrator, who is still on the run, as an “attack that struck our country in the heart.” “This is an act of terror against the security and freedom of our country and also against the way we live here,” said Wüst. Celebrating and laughing together with strangers is “our way of life here in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Wüst. But the country is not wavering. “We will not allow ourselves to be shaken by terror and hatred. We will defend our way of life.”
Arrest of a fifteen-year-old
The knife attack in Solingen occurred on Friday evening. The attacker deliberately attacked several people with a knife at around 9:40 p.m., said Düsseldorf police chief Thorsten Fleiß, who led the operation on Saturday night, during a press conference in Wuppertal on Saturday afternoon. The victims were a 67-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman.
A fifteen-year-old was arrested in the early hours of the morning, reported Fleiß. The youth was not described in more detail for the protection of minors. “He is currently being investigated in connection with the crime. We are currently not assuming that he was a perpetrator.”
Still too little information about perpetrators’ appearance
Senior public prosecutor Markus Caspers from the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office explained that the arrested man was “only charged with failing to report planned crimes.” “One person is said to have spoken to the young person about intentions that would be consistent with the crime.” Caspers stated: “So far, no perpetrator has been identified.” It is assumed that the perpetrator was a lone perpetrator.
The investigators have not yet released a wanted poster. “The evaluation and analysis are underway, so we cannot yet release a specific photo of the perpetrator,” said operations manager Fleiß. Senior public prosecutor Caspers added: “We can only release a description of the perpetrator if we have a description. What we have now is not enough to go public.”
According to police chief Fleiß, police operations are underway throughout North Rhine-Westphalia and throughout Germany. He spoke of “extensive search measures and investigative measures”. Federal authorities are also involved.
Reul: Hold back on speculation
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) ordered that police presence be increased in all parts of the state, especially in places where major events are taking place. “It's time to be even more vigilant,” said Reul. A lot of police personnel are deployed in the hunt for the perpetrator. Images from cell phone cameras are helping investigators, but at the same time are challenging for police work due to the enormous amount of data and sometimes contradictory information about the alleged attacker.
“The police need time; they interview ten to 20 people at the same time to collect data. The same applies to images and photos,” said Reul. The Interior Minister appealed to citizens to refrain from speculation.
Police: Do not share information on social media!
Police chief Fleiß asked for the public's help. “We are currently asking everyone to pass on any information they have to the police. In particular, to use the help portal. That is much more helpful than sharing it on social media.” Fleiß went on to say that it is currently a major challenge to bring together the existing evidence and the witness statements and generate an overall picture from them.
The scene of the crime was the Fronhof, a market square in downtown Solingen, where there was a stage for live music. A “Festival of Diversity” began on Friday to mark the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen. It was supposed to last until Sunday, but the city has since ended the festival completely and canceled the program items planned for the weekend. The nearby cities of Hilden and Haan also canceled festivals planned for this weekend at short notice. In addition to great shock and sadness for the victims in Solingen, the security situation also played a role.
Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach described the city as deeply affected and full of grief. “But not being alone in this grief is a good sign.” On Saturday evening, hundreds of people gathered at Neumarkt for a memorial event.
In Neuss, near Düsseldorf, the planned shooting festival will take place on Saturday, and there are no indications of an increased threat situation. “We cannot lock ourselves in, that would send the wrong signal, then those who are trying to spread fear and uncertainty would win,” said the local district administrator Hans-Jürgen Petrauschke.
