Two Killed in a Stabbing in Southern Germany

A 41-year-old man and a 2-year-old boy were killed in a stabbing in the southern German city of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday. Three others were wounded, including a 61-year-old man, a child and a teacher.

The suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan, has been taken into custody.

Details:

• The stabbing happened just before noon at the Schöntal park near the city center.
• According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, the suspect attacked a group of kindergartners in the park with a kitchen knife.
• He then attempted to run away across nearby railroad tracks, causing rail company Deutsche Bahn to temporarily stop trains in the area.

Illegal immigrant: The Afghan entered Germany in 2022, but his asylum claim was unsuccessful and he was ordered to leave the country last year, according to Herrmann. The suspect had been detained at least three times for violent behavior but was released after psychiatric treatment.

The attack was “an unbelievable act of terror,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “The authorities must explain as quickly as possible why the attacker was even still in Germany.”

Outrage: The attack comes after a Saudi migrant drove a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg last month, killing six and injuring more than 200. December’s attack stirred up fresh anger at the country’s migration policies, and Wednesday’s stabbing adds more fuel to the fire.

New leadership: Scholz’s government is on its way out, but the upcoming elections promise no better solution for the angry, frustrated and deeply dissatisfied German public. This paves the way for a prophesied strongman to emerge and take charge.

To learn more, read “Another Christmas Market Attack, a Forever Changed Germany.”