At least three people have been fatally stabbed at a music festival in Germany on Friday evening.
The incident occurred on a central square in the city of Solingen at approximately 9:45 p.m. local time. The suspect, who is still at large, allegedly stabbed random victims in the neck, and is still at large.
Investigators are currently dealing with the incident as a terrorist attack.
The three-day music festival, which was meant to celebrate the 650th anniversary of Solingen, a city in western Germany, had kicked off on Friday with the expectation of at least 80,000 people.
According to a local newspaper, officials told residents to leave the downtown area shortly after the stabbing occurred. Philipp Muller, one of the festival organizers, also announced that nine people were fighting for their lives.
While it has not been confirmed, the weapon is believed to be a knife.
The suspect, however, is believed to have fled the seen. Police helicopters are currently searching the city with helicopters. Special forces have also arrived at the city center.
Because of the stabbing, several festival performances were cancelled, including those of two DJs who were scheduled to perform. They have since posted on social media that they are ‘beyond devastated’ regarding the attack.
By 11:00 p.m. local time, thousands of festival-goers had been evacuated from the downtown area. While most were shocked about the attack, most left the city square peacefully. The roads in and around the area have also been closed as the manhunt continues.
One local reporter, Celine Derikart, described the atmosphere in the area as ‘spooky’.
Tim Kurzbach, the Mayor of Solinger also posted on Facebook that the city is in ‘horror and shock’. He expressed that people had come together to celebrate the city’s anniversary only to be faced with a brutal stabbing.
Lars Breitzke, a witness to the attack, told a local newspaper that he was standing in front of the stage when a man started to stab passerby’s just a few meters away from him. He remembers seeing singer Suzan Topfer’s face filled with shock, just a few seconds before a person beside him fell over.
Initially, he thought they fell over because they were drunk. As soon as he turned around, however, he noticed pools of blood on the ground.
As of 12:15 a.m. local time, authorities in Germany are still searching for the perpetrator, whom they have very little information on. However, they do believe the attack was carried out by a single individual.
Hendrik Wust, the State Premier, wrote on social media that North Rhine-Westpahalia is united ‘in grief and shock’. He also thanked the police and rescue workers for their efforts in the brutal attack.
