A 41-year-old Syrian national wounded 31 people, including two children who were left in critical condition, in arson attacks on Saturday in the German city of Essen, according to police and media reports from Sunday morning.
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.
BREAKING NIUS: Eine Machete, ein Kampfmesser und palästinensisch-islamistische Kampfbekleidung. Was in Essen geschehen ist, ist ein Terroranschlag von einem polizeibekannten Syrer. Alle Details hier:https://t.co/u6VQWXla3e https://t.co/rklFOghwBl pic.twitter.com/VWsvsDz33E
— Julian Reichelt (@jreichelt) September 29, 2024
Videos of the incident, screenshotted by multiple German media outlets, appeared to show the man was wearing a Palestinian flag and Keffiyeh-patterned headband.
Germany sees uptick in attacks
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.