https://www.spiegel.de/pa(...)73-8d36-770940465b3alarge-scale operation in a park
Knife attack in Aschaffenburg – two dead
Two people, including a small child, were killed in an attack in a park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. One person was arrested. The authorities have so far ruled out a terrorist motive.
According to police, two people were killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, including a two-year-old child. According to initial findings, a suspect attacked several people at around 11:45 a.m. A police spokesman said in an initial statement that a total of four people were affected, including several children. According to police, the second fatality is 41 years old.
The police arrested one person, but investigators have no indications of any other suspects. A second person who was initially arrested was ruled out as a suspect. According to the police, he is a witness.
There is no danger to the population, said the spokesman. "We can rule out terrorism with almost absolute certainty," an authority spokesman told SPIEGEL. The crime scene has been cordoned off and a major operation is underway.
Bahn stops all trains
The exact background to the attack is still unclear; when asked, a police spokesman did not provide any details about the suspect. There is only one crime scene within the park, he told SPIEGEL - so the perpetrator probably did not go randomly through the park to attack people. The police called on witnesses to come forward and announced that they would set up a portal for information, for example for videos and photos.
Because a suspect is said to have tried to escape via railway tracks, rail traffic in the city has been suspended. According to the railway, trains to and from Aschaffenburg are currently being held back. It is not possible to predict how great the impact on regional and long-distance traffic will be.
Aschaffenburg is located in the Bavarian administrative district of Lower Franconia, close to the state border with Hesse. The park called Schntal, which is just over nine hectares in size, is close to the city center. The police patrol there from time to time, the spokesman said. This may also be why the suspect was caught quickly.