One day after the knife attack in a gym in Duisburg, which left four people seriously injured, the police are feverishly looking for the perpetrator. At the same time, prosecutors are puzzled about the motive for the crime.
As FOCUS online learned from investigators, there is currently no indication of an amok attack or a politically motivated act of terrorism. The “Spiegel” reported that everything indicated that the attack was aimed at one person. The Essen police, who in the meantime handed the case back to their colleagues in Duisburg, have now moved away from this theory. “The level of knowledge changes almost by the hour,” said a senior official.
Duisburg: Victims speak of a bearded man who suddenly appeared in the changing room
Three of the four victims have now been questioned. It was a difficult situation as the men needed breaks from the shock or even lost consciousness at times. The three reported that an approximately 1.80 tall, bearded man in his 30s suddenly appeared in the dressing room. Without a word, he stabbed with a long knife, possibly also a machete. Then he fled.
One witness claims that the attacker purposefully rushed towards one of the men, another contradicted this perception. At first there was even false talk of a second perpetrator. Further investigations must shed some light on this.
The fourth victim is still in mortal danger and has not yet been questioned. All four victims are German. One of them has an Arab migration background, a second one from Eastern Europe. None of them have been on the criminal police record so far. The fact is that the four men did not know each other. A trace into the rocker or clan milieu is also not recognizable so far.
Investigators are puzzled as to how the knife man got into the gym
The knife man’s escape route is also unclear. Numerous other visitors to the gym were also questioned without result. The witnesses provided little helpful observations about the perpetrator.
So far, investigators have not been able to secure any usable video material in the gym. A homicide commission is currently evaluating the material from surveillance cameras in the area. The crime scene is opposite the town hall.
The investigators are also investigating how the knife man got into the gym. Normally, members need a chip card to enter the studio. The police also want to make an identikit with the help of eyewitnesses in order to advance the public search. In addition, a portal has been activated where witnesses can post any relevant cell phone videos.
