Authorities puzzle over motive for German knife attack

A knife attack in the southern German city of Wuerzburg has hit the city "in the heart", mayor Christian Schuchardt told a press conference on Saturday.

The suspect in the knife attack that left three women dead was ordered to be kept in custody on suspicion of murder, while authorities puzzled over a possible motive, examining his mental health and seeking to determine whether he was radicalized.

The attack started late Friday afternoon when the suspect walked into a store in Wuerzburg, went to the household goods department and asked a saleswoman where the knives were, regional police chief Gerhard Kallert said.

He then grabbed a knife and fatally stabbed three women in the store, before continuing to attack people outside. Six people, most of them women, were seriously injured, and one of them remained in a life-threatening condition on Saturday. The 24-year-old Somali was then stopped with a shot to the leg by police and arrested.

Head Prosecutor Frank Gosselke said they were checking wether the discharge of the weapon was legal, but added: "to me it rather looks as if this police officer did everything right here."

Schuchardt said they believe the suspect acted alone but could not confirm witness reports that he shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack.

The case was handed over to prosecutors in Munich, the state capital, but not to federal prosecutors, who in Germany deal with terror cases.

The mayor said they will be looking into the suspect's previous psychological treatment and "behavioural problems" as they work to understand the incident.

The man arrived in Germany in May 2015 and was granted “subsidiary protection,” a status that falls short of full asylum.

He had been in Wuerzburg since 2019, and was living in a homeless shelter.

IMAGE: AP