Knife attack in regional train: Attackers injured five people – NRW minister speaks of “amoktat”
Created: 05/13/2022, 20:45
By: Patrick Huljina
After the shooting on a train in North Rhine-Westphalia, the attacker was taken away in white overalls.
© Ralf Roeger/dpa
On Friday morning there was a knife attack on a train near Herzogenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Several people were injured.
Herzogenrath - "It was a cruel act that could be stopped in an act of enormous courage," said NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) on Friday (May 13) at a press conference in Düsseldorf.
In the morning, an attacker on a regional train near Herzogenrath “randomly and arbitrarily” stabbed fellow passengers, injuring five people.
In the end, a total of six injuries were counted, including the attacker.
Knife attack in the regional train: Attackers injured five people – Reul speaks of “amoktat”
"We have to assume that there was an ambush," Reul explained.
The attacker was no stranger to authorities.
The 31-year-old man, who was born in Iraq and came to Germany as a refugee, was classified as a “test case Islamism” in 2017 after a tip from the refugee home where he lived at the time.
The minister emphasized that the attacker had not become conspicuous since it was classified as a test case.
However, this will now be checked again, because he used different names.
The authorities therefore also checked whether it could have been an Islamist-motivated act.
On Friday evening, however, a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in Aachen told the German Press Agency: "So far we have nothing reliable for an Islamist motive." However, there are indications that question the suspect's criminal responsibility.
That is why they are now being checked.
Investigated because of an attempted homicide.
At the latest on Saturday it will be decided whether an arrest warrant will be issued against the man or whether he will be placed in a psychiatric ward.
Herzogenrath/NRW: knife attack in regional train – travelers probably prevent worse
The incident took place at 7:42 a.m. on Friday morning.
The Regionalexpress 4 had just left the train station in Herzogenrath in the direction of Aachen when the 31-year-old pulled out a knife.
At that time there were 270 people on the train.
Among them was a 60-year-old federal police officer in civilian clothes.
Together with two travelers, he managed to overpower and arrest the attacker.
"These three people may have prevented greater danger, greater damage," said Reul at his press conference.
The authorities raised the alarm.
A total of 200 emergency services rushed to the scene.
The train stopped in the open.
Most of the injured suffered lacerations, including on the head and face.
Fortunately, no one was critically injured.
Four people were taken to hospitals.
The federal police officer is among the injured.
The perpetrator was wrapped in white overalls and taken away by the officers.
The 31-year-old was also slightly injured.
At his press conference, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia explained that the events of the past two days had shown that the dangers posed by right-wing extremism and Islamism had not disappeared.
"They continue to exist, are threatening and can be life-threatening," says Reul.
On Thursday morning (May 12), emergency services arrested a 16-year-old in Essen.
The teenager is suspected of having planned a right-wing extremist terrorist attack at a school.
The state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia will take place at the weekend.
(ph with dpa)