Bielefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia) – It was apparently an assassination attempt! According to BILD, police are currently classifying the attack on visitors to a bar early Sunday morning as an assault.
At around 4:20 a.m., a man attacked patrons in front of the Cutie bar on Große-Kurfürsten-Straße . Police spokeswoman Sonja Remmert said: “According to current information, at least five people were injured, three of them seriously. It cannot be ruled out that additional people were injured.” Two are said to be in critical condition. The victims are said to be between 23 and 27 years old.
According to witnesses, the perpetrator stabbed his victims indiscriminately with a knife and a sword cane. Images from the crime scene show forensic technicians recovering one such weapon—a walking stick with a removable blade.
Perpetrator had weapons and flammable liquid in his backpack
Other guests then knocked the man down, injuring his face. He was able to get up and escape on foot. The attacker lost his backpack in the process.
Investigators from the “Kurfürst” homicide squad, led by Chief Inspector Markus Mertens, were finally able to secure the backpack in the vicinity of the crime scene. According to BILD, they discovered additional weapons and a bottle of flammable liquid inside, as well as a residence permit issued to a Syrian.
This discovery led to the conclusion that the perpetrator clearly did not act spontaneously, but had planned an attack and equipped himself for it.
Investigators: “The Bielefeld police were able to recover knives at the scene. It cannot be ruled out that the suspect, who is currently on the run, is armed.”
Therefore, they warn: “If you encounter the suspect, please immediately call the police emergency number 110. Please keep your distance and do not put yourself in danger.”
Due to the political sensitivity of the incident, the police established a Special Organization (SOU). The SOU serves to ensure unified leadership and coordination in situations requiring the deployment of numerous officers from different authorities.
