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| Machete-Armed Man With Palestinian Flag Wounds 31 In Germany With Arson, Ramming Attacks | |||
| 2024-09-29 | |||
At around 5:10 PM on Saturday, the man set fire to a residential building on Altenessener Strasse and the corner of Pielsticker Strasse, according to Bild. He later drove a few streets over, where he set fire to a second residence. The fire service said that 31 people were wounded in the arson attacks, while Essen police placed the number at 30. Children were reportedly thrown from windows to escape the flames onto cushions placed on the street, according to Tagesschau. After setting off the fires, the man reportedly drove to Katernberger Strasse, where he rammed his car into a store before reversing and ramming into the building again. Continuing the series of attacks, the driver fled to another shop on Katernberger Strasse, where he pulled out a machete and began threatening people. This component of the attack was captured on video by nearby civilians, who threw objects at him in an attempt to distance the man. The man was arrested a few meters from the store with burns to his hands, sources told Bild. Tagesschau reported that the individual had been known to the police prior to the incident. “The criminal police have taken over the investigation and are examining the connections between the crimes. The specific motives of the arrested man are also the subject of the investigation,” Essen police published in a statement. Videos of the incident, screenshotted by multiple German media outlets, appeared to show the man was wearing a Palestinian flag and Keffiyeh-patterned headband. Recently, Germany arrested a Syrian national for planning a machete attack on soldiers. The accused obtained two machetes approximately 40 cm (15.75 inches) long. He planned to attack Bundeswehr soldiers in Hof who were spending their lunch break there and to kill as many of them as possible, a prosecutor's statement said. In August, an ISIS-affiliated Syrian asylum seeker killed three people and wounded eight others in a knife attack on Germany's Solingen.
The suspected migrant attacker is due to appear before a judge on Sunday facing charges of aggravated arson and attempted murder. The Syrian national is accused of driving a van into two stores and starting two fires, which left two children in critical condition due to smoke inhalation and dozens more injured as exits were blocked off, broadcaster NTV reports. While local residents attempted to mount a rescue effort of their own, their ladders were not tall enough to reach the windows of the buildings set ablaze, forcing those inside to hang outside of the windows to breathe. Firefighters, who were forced to confront two fires simultaneously, were fortunately able to save all those inside before any fatalities occurred. Around 160 emergency personnel were involved in the rescue operation, which took around an hour and a half. After allegedly setting the fires, the migrant is reported to have threatened to stab people with a long blade, before being surrounded by several men clad with shovels and poles, who subdued and detained him until police could arrive. Authorities were quick to deny any terrorist motivation behind the attack, with Welt reporting that security service sources believe the attack was rather motivated by a familial conflict. Local police said that initial investigations point to the man becoming enraged over his wife leaving him. "I can't understand why she left me?" *Hack* *stab* “The acts were obviously aimed specifically at a family,” said Mayor Kufen. According to the German paper, twelve people were injured in the first fire and a further 19 were injured in the second, with all injuries being caused by smoke inhalation. Welt reported that two children suffered life-threatening injuries from the smoke, which is particularly dangerous for developing lungs. The two children are believed to be two and four years-old. In total, eight children were hospitalised as a result of the fires.
The suspect hasn’t commented so far on what happened Saturday, but was previously known to authorities for threats and damage to property, police said. | |||
| Posted by:Elmerert Hupens2660 |
| #5 ummm, sudden jihad? |
| Posted by: alanc 2024-09-29 17:30 |
| #4 Wearing a NY (Mets/Giants/Yankees ?) hat, so clearly Trump's fault? |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2024-09-29 13:08 |
| #3 Motive unknown. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2024-09-29 10:58 |
| #2 31 people, including two children - that's enough for a genocide! Obviously, the solution is to pass stricter laws against hacking people up with knives. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2024-09-29 10:45 |
| #1 I recommend 21 days ceasefire. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-09-29 10:34 |