A man armed with a long knife killed three people and seriously injured five others in an attack in the southern German city of Wuerzburg on Friday, authorities said. Videos on social media showed the man armed with a large knife being confronted and subdued by passers-by.
The suspect, a Somali man aged 24, was stopped by police and arrested the attacker by firing a bullet through his thigh. Police said he had been violent and mentally unstable and had recently received psychiatric treatment. They said his injuries were not life-threatening. Police spokeswoman Kerstin Kunick said officers were alerted around 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) to a knife attack on Barbarossa Square in the center of the city. Würzburg is a city of about 130,000 people located between Munich and Frankfurt. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters that, of those who were injured, five were in serious condition and it was “not certain” if they would survive. Officers are also searching his home and investigating his contacts for further evidence. A witness reported that the suspect shouted “Allah Akbar” during the attack, said Mr Herrmann. But a police spokesman said that, while the attacker had a criminal record, none of his previous offences were related to terrorism.
