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Two killed in knife attack at German park, 28-year-old suspect arrested

German police offices secure a park, where earlier Wednesday two people were killed in a knife attack, in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Photo by Pascal Hoefig/EPA-EFE
German police offices secure a park, where earlier Wednesday two people were killed in a knife attack, in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Photo by Pascal Hoefig/EPA-EFE

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A 28-year-old Afghan man is in police custody after attacking a group of kindergarteners in the German city of Aschaffenburg, killing two people, including a 2-year-old.

The attack occurred before noon local time Wednesday in Schöntal Park, Bavaria. Local police said in a statement that the man attacked the 2-year-old, who was part of a kindergarten group, with a kitchen knife, causing fatal injuries.

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A 41-year-old man, who was in the vicinity of the attack when it began, attempted to intervene, suffering serious injuries and died at the scene, police said.

Police said the deceased man was from Germany and the child was of Moroccan descent.

Three others were injured in the attack: a 2-year-old Syrian girl, a 72-year-old German man and a 59-year-old woman who was a teacher accompanying the kindergarten group. Police described their injuries as serious, but they were taken to local hospitals and were expected to live.

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The suspect fled the scene on foot, but was arrested a short time later and taken to a nearby police station. The knife used in the attack was recovered, police said.

Authorities said the suspect had a history of mental health issues and "had come to the attention of the police multiple times in the past."

"The execution of a court-ordered search warrant at the 28-year-old's residence provided further insights into this mental illness," police said in the statement. "However, there is currently no evidence of any radical ideology associated with the suspect."

A motive for the attack remains under investigation.

Chancellor Ola Scholz of Germany described the attack as "an unbelievable act of terror."

"I am tired of such acts of violence occurring here every few weeks -- committed by perpetrators who originally came to us seeking protection," he said on X.

"The authorities must urgently investigate why the attacker was still in Germany at all. Immediate consequences must be drawn from the findings -- it is not enough to just talk."

Scholz said he met with the heads of security authorities Wednesday evening.

"Today is a terrible day for all of Bavaria," Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder said on X.

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"The circumstances of this unbelievable act must be fully clarified. Not now is the time to pause. It hurts. We pray for the victims and their families. We hope for a quick and fully recover for all those injured.

"Bavaria stands together in these difficult hours."

The incident comes amid a series of violent attacks in the country where there has been growing concerns over immigration, which has fueled a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany political party ahead of next month's federal election.

"While the police in CSU-government Bavaria promote the slogan 'Diversity -- but safely!' an Afghan man stabs a man and a 2-year-old to death. When will this madness finally end? Only remigration and border protection can put an end to these conditions!" the AfD said on X.

Remigration is a term used by those of the far-right, meaning forced repatriation of immigrants, mostly from Muslim-majority countries.

In December, a 50-year-old Saudi man who has lived in Germany since 2006 drove his car into a group of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people and injuring 200 others. The suspect was reportedly a critic of Islam and German authorities who were not doing enough to stop the "Islamism of Europe."

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