Germany: 9 Wounded in Stabbing Attack On Bus in Lübeck


An original translation from Bild

Knife-Attack in Lübeck Bus
Fist punch to the bus driver, then the perpetrator stabbed!
Attacker (34) puts down a rucksack ++ fire accelerant found ++ nine wounded ++ Perpetrator German citizen of Iranian background ++ He was a German Federal Army soldier ++ Chief prosecutor: „We have no clues for a political radicalization in any form“

By Jan-Henrik Dobers, July 20,2018, 6:45PM CET
Nine people were wounded in a knife-attack in a crowded public service bus in Lübeck (state of Schleswig-Holstein) – one woman severely!

The Interior Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Hans-Joachim Grote (CDU) told BILD: „The suspect is a 34-year old man – he is a German citizen of Iranian background. Six passengers were wounded with a knife. Nine people totally were wounded.“

No casualties, according to the Chief Prosecutor.

The area around a bus stop in the district of Kücknitz was cordoned off. The deed took place in a bus headed for Travemünde (Line 30). The harbor festival „Travemünder Woche“ (Travemünde Week) at Lübeck Bay is starting there on Friday.

First a fist punch, then knife

Interior Minister Grote describes the course of the attack to Bild: „At 1:47 PM, the suspect stood in the middle of the articulated bus. The bus driver saw in the rear mirror how the man was putting his backpack down.“ [translator’s note: the backpack was smoking and people were screaming “there is a psycho!”, according to Lübecker Nachrichten]

At that, the driver stopped the bus and approached the perpetrator. Grote: „He confronted the man, upon which the man punched him in the face with his fist.“

After the wrangling that ensued the knife-attack took place. „The man pulled out a knife and stabbed six passengers indiscriminately. Besides the bus driver, two more people were wounded.“

Passengers overpower attacker

According to Chief Prosecutor Dr. Ulla Hingst, the other passengers intervened and were able to overpower the attacker. Hingst tells Bild: „Police then were able to arrest him.“ He will be interrogated this Friday.

Chief Prosecutor: „We have no clues for a political radicalization in any form. The background of the deed is still unclear.“

Fire Accelerant in the backpack
The munitions removal squad was analyzing the backpack, according to the Chief Prosecutor. Bild learned that fire accelerant was found in the bag.

Eye witnesses told „Lübecker Nachrichten“ that smoke came from the backpack. The bus driver was quick-witted and opened the doors so that passengers were able to flee.