8 People, Including Child, Stabbed in Munich Knife Attack

Police have arrested a suspect
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 21, 2017 10:55 AM CDT
Man With Knife Attacks 8 in Munich; Suspect Arrested
Police guard the area at Rosenheimer Platz square in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017.   (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

A man with a knife attacked eight people in Munich on Saturday and then fled, police said. The suspected assailant, a local German already known to police for theft and other offenses, was arrested a few hours later, the AP reports. No one was seriously hurt in the attack that started at around 8.30am in the Haidhausen area, east of downtown Munich. Police said they believe it was not a terror attack, they suspect instead that the assailant had psychological problems. The lone attacker apparently went after passers-by indiscriminately with a knife, police said. He attacked eight people in all, including a 12-year-old child, at different sites. They mainly had superficial stab wounds and in at least one case had been hit.

About three hours later, police arrested a man matching a description they had issued based on witness reports. The 33-year-old suspect, who was carrying a knife when he was arrested, was already known to police for bodily harm, drug offenses, and theft, city police chief Hubertus Andrae told reporters. The suspect didn't immediately give police any information on his motive. "There are absolutely no indications at present of a terrorist, political, or religious background, though we can only rule things out when all the questioning is finished," Andrae said. "Rather than that, we believe that the perpetrator had psychological problems." He said police have "no serious doubts" that the suspect was the assailant, and that there was no longer any danger to the public.

(More knife attack stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X