Authorities have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with a fatal stabbing attack that took place at a festival in Solingen, Germany, on Friday evening. The attack resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to eight others.

The boy was apprehended following the incident in the Fronhof, a market square in Solingen located near Cologne and Duesseldorf. While he is not suspected of being the attacker, he is believed to have known about the planned attack and failed to notify authorities. The perpetrator remains at large.

The arrest of the 15-year-old followed the accounts of two female witnesses who reported hearing a conversation between him and an unidentified individual prior to the attack. This conversation allegedly revealed intentions that aligned with the subsequent events.

Prosecutors are investigating a potential terror motive, as there is no apparent alternative explanation and the victims were reportedly unknown to the attacker. Despite the incident, authorities have stated that there was no specific terror threat prior to the festival.

The attack occurred around 9:35 p.m. local time on Friday, while attendees were enjoying a live music performance in front of a stage celebrating the town’s 650th anniversary. The victims, identified as two men aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman, were reportedly targeted in their throats by the assailant.

Police are conducting extensive searches and investigations across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with operations continuing throughout Saturday. The square where the attack took place has been cordoned off, and members of the public have placed candles and flowers outside the barriers.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his shock and condolences, stating on X that the incident was a “terrible event” and calling for the swift capture and punishment of the perpetrator.

In a social media post, Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach, expressed the city’s collective shock and sadness, stating that they “all wanted to celebrate our city anniversary together” and now must mourn the victims.

Germany has a relatively low rate of fatal stabbings and shootings. Earlier this month, the government announced plans to tighten regulations on knives carried in public.

In May, an Afghan migrant carried out a stabbing attack in the southwestern city of Reutlingen, injuring an anti-Islam activist, several others, and a police officer who subsequently died. Days later, a member of the German right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) was stabbed in the city while campaigning for election.

The violence occurs ahead of three state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg scheduled for next month. The AfD, a party opposed to mass immigration, has a chance of winning in these elections.

While the motive and identity of the assailant in the Solingen attack remain unknown, a prominent AfD candidate for one of the state elections, Bjoern Hoecke, responded to the incident on X by suggesting that it represents a trend that should be addressed. “Do you really want to get used to this? Free yourselves and end this insanity of forced multiculturalism,” he wrote.

’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Reuters and