The 24-year-old Somali man who attacked passers-by earlier in the day in central Würzburg, killing three people and injuring six others, had already been identified by authorities and had to be treated at a psychiatric clinic.
According to the Bild newspaper, the young man had visited a department store in the area early in the afternoon, asking to buy a knife.
According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Hermann, the perpetrator was chased by about fifteen passers-by, who attacked him with chairs from an adjacent restaurant, umbrellas and even their backpacks. The 24-year-old was finally stopped by police, who shot him and injured his leg. According to Mr. Herman, among the injured is a young boy whose father died tragically from the perpetrator’s knife, who, according to eyewitnesses, was in a state of amok.
An unofficial video has been circulating on social media in the last few hours showing a barefoot man wielding a large knife and threatening passers-by, while others try to stop him. Police, however, urged citizens not to post taped footage of the attack and to respect the victims’ private sphere. However, he estimates that he acted alone, without an accomplice.
The Prime Minister of Bavaria Markus Zender, in a post on Twitter, thanked the citizens who tried to stop the attacker and expressed his respect for the “courageous intervention of many people who resolutely resisted” the perpetrator. Mr Zenter also thanked police forces who rushed to the scene, saying he was “shocked” by the incident. “We are concerned about the injured and we are praying for them,” he added. Earlier, Mr Herman said: “It is not certain that all the injured will make it.”
As for the possible motives of the perpetrator, the police spokesman clarified that the 24-year-old Somali was not marked for Islamist activity, however some witnesses said that during the attack he shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
