Manhunt in Solingen, Germany after 3 dead in stabbing attack at "Festival of Diversity"

[essentialsaltes]

The suspect is on the run, said German police during a press conference. Special police forces have been deployed to the active manhunt, police added.

The attack took place in a square during the “Festival of Diversity” on Friday, a three-day event marking the 650th anniversary of the city’s founding. Police say the attack occurred close to the stage while a musical act was performing at the festival.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, also expressed his shock in a televised statement, adding that “none of us know why this happened. I can’t say anything about the motive, about the person.”

During a press conference, a police spokesperson said their “current assessment is that this was a deliberate attack.” Asked by reporters whether this was a terror attack, however, the spokesperson cautioned, “That would just be speculation. I can’t say that at the moment.”


The thing that makes random acts of violence so frustrating and unsettling, is precisely because they're random.

In a way, when people can tack on a "explicit motive", that gives people an odd sense of comfort/control, like "if there's this one thing we could fix or avoid doing, it'll make this less likely to happen to me"

For instance, people with blonde and brown hair would get an odd sense of comfort from knowing that the serial killer in the area was targeting people with red hair (and for the people who have red hair, they'd get a sense of control by knowing they could disguise their hair color when going out) vs. "this maniac is just killing any random person they can find" (meaning, no matter what you do, this could happen to you)

Maybe they'll uncover a motive for this one...but it's possible that it'll be like the would-be Trump assassin who was just looking to engage in some high-profile act of violence, and didn't particularly care who the target was.

 

[Tuur]

What follows is a point of irony, not dark humor: Solingen, Germany, is/was noted for manufacturing knives and straight razors.

 

[essentialsaltes]

A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with the attack and is currently suspected of failing to report a crime, after witnesses reported that the teenager spoke to an unidentified person “about intentions that would match with the crime” shortly before the attack, Caspers said. He declined to provide further details about the teenager.

Police said in a statement earlier in the afternoon that they were continuing to investigate and search for other potential suspects.

Speaking to reporters in Solingen, Herbert Reul, the interior minister in North Rhine-Westphalia, cautioned against speculation amid concerns about the spread of disinformation and inflammatory rhetoric online.

 

[Chesterton]

During a press conference, a police spokesperson said their “current assessment is that this was a deliberate attack.”

This required an assessment? My sources are saying it was an accidental attack. He accidentally stabbed three people to death.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Did you mean to post this in another thread?

No...calm down.

 

[Ana the Ist]

During a press conference, a police spokesperson said their “current assessment is that this was a deliberate attack.”

That's definitely one of those statements where they want to sound authoritative and don't want to say anything substantive.

Yeah, it was a deliberate attack.

This required an assessment? My sources are saying it was an accidental attack. He accidentally stabbed three people to death.

Well...I suppose it would be opposed to someone going through some sort of psychotic episode.

 

[Chesterton]

Well...I suppose it would be opposed to someone going through some sort of psychotic episode.

I'd guess that psychotic people do deliberate, but they base their deliberations on different criteria than you and I.

It's weird that psychotic episodes always seem to be bad. I've never heard of anyone having a psychotic break where they start going around doing charity work.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I'd guess that psychotic people do deliberate, but they base their deliberations on different criteria than you and I.

Sure...but it's a lack of accuracy in perception. You wouldn't call someone sleepwalking into someone else's home (even if trespassing) deliberate simply because their brain fed them minute amounts of information in an altered state.

It's weird that psychotic episodes always seem to be bad.

The nature of truth and objective reality means that an impaired ability to recognize truth and understand reality is extremely dangerous or at least limiting.

Someone who believes in a flat earth for example isn't really a danger to themselves or others....but someone who feels that is very important information and wants to prove it could be. They could end up hurting themselves....or damage relationships and alienate others through obsessive behaviors.

Someone having a psychotic episode is having persistent hallucinations and severe issues with their ability to control their emotions. It's not going to be a good situation regardless of whether they're hearing persecutory voices and in an extreme state of stress and panic....or whether they're under the belief God is speaking to them and they have abnormal abilities or divine purpose.

I've never heard of anyone having a psychotic break where they start going around doing charity work.

Right...well think of this as a simple way of understanding it....excessive good emotions paired with hallucinations and delusions. A person may believe that Tarantino is sending them messages hidden in his movies...and if they simply drop everything and drive out to his home, they'll be a huge star. Upon pursuing this goal you can imagine how it turns out...legal restraints, jail, homelessness, drug use, etc. It can be an extremely positive delusion....but it's always inherently self interested. We're inherently self interested. Even those children throwing soup on famous paintings want desperately to be seen as moral actors pursuing a grand goal of saving the world....despite no actual plan for how.

Always be suspicious of zealots that lack wisdom.

 

[Nithavela]

At this point, the IS (yes, that one from a decade ago) is claiming the attack.

 

[Ana the Ist]

At this point, the IS (yes, that one from a decade ago) is claiming the attack.

Figures.

 

[RileyG]

At this point, the IS (yes, that one from a decade ago) is claiming the attack.

Have they gotten smaller in number?

How very sad.

 

[essentialsaltes]

At this point, the IS (yes, that one from a decade ago) is claiming the attack.

We only wanted to celebrate. Then death came.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Saturday for a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen that killed three people on Friday.
The militant group said in a statement on its Telegram account that the attack was carried out by one of its members "in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere".
It did not immediately provide any evidence for its assertion and it was not clear how close any relationship between the attacker and Islamic State was.

 

[Ana the Ist]

View attachment 353781


We only wanted to celebrate. Then death came.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Saturday for a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen that killed three people on Friday.
The militant group said in a statement on its Telegram account that the attack was carried out by one of its members "in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere".
It did not immediately provide any evidence for its assertion and it was not clear how close any relationship between the attacker and Islamic State was.

Islam is by nature a bit extreme. One tends to imagine any religion that does get large must have broad appeal or something inherently valuable about it...but I don't think that's the case. Christianity spread by both the will of kings and priests who spread the faith. It's self perpetuating nature is inherently in the belief that non-Christians suffer for eternity. Turning some pagan to Christianity is therefore good in the long run...regardless of the short term effects. Islam spreads by belief that it is the only valid belief and no other belief need be respected equally. It believes it is not only true, but the last religion, and eventually the only religion. It's completely acceptable to lie and pretend to respect others and their beliefs...but ultimately, whenever possible, they must be converted or subjugated. The doctrine is strict and no wide difference of interpretation exists like in Christianity. That's because it severely punishes the unfaithful, anyone brave enough to openly leave Islam and condemn it's repressive nature is a target for execution....whereas Christianity tries to forgive the unfaithful, even if it condemns or judges them.

I think people need to try and understand Islam and figure out what way to deal with it. I don't expect their to be any big denominational shift in Islam the way they occur in Christianity because by its very nature....deviation isn't tolerated.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I'd guess that psychotic people do deliberate, but they base their deliberations on different criteria than you and I.

It's weird that psychotic episodes always seem to be bad. I've never heard of anyone having a psychotic break where they start going around doing charity work.

I think in most cases that's because psychotic episodes are usually attached to a personality disorder of some sort that involves a sociopathy that removes empathy.

The one exception to that rule could be people with manic depressive disorder.

I have a family member who, in a manic state, decided to binge impulse purchase a bunch of gifts for family members.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I think in most cases that's because psychotic episodes are usually attached to a personality disorder of some sort that involves a sociopathy that removes empathy.

Well emotional regulation is difficult if not impossible for anyone experiencing these things.

Imagine having the wherewithal to consider everyone else's feelings in a delusional panic while you're hallucinating.

Any consideration would be fleeting.

The one exception to that rule could be people with manic depressive disorder.

I have a family member who, in a manic state, decided to binge impulse purchase a bunch of gifts for family members.

She did that though because she couldn't stop how she felt, right?

She was up on those positive emotions, rational consideration was out the door, no?

 

[mindlight]

The suspect is on the run, said German police during a press conference. Special police forces have been deployed to the active manhunt, police added.

The attack took place in a square during the “Festival of Diversity” on Friday, a three-day event marking the 650th anniversary of the city’s founding. Police say the attack occurred close to the stage while a musical act was performing at the festival.

Ironically the city is known as the "City of Blades" due to its manufacture of knives and swords down the ages. I guess a Festival of Diversity, as in other towns, celebrates intercultural dialog. The village is first mentioned a thousand years ago so I guess they mark the founding of the town from when it got walls. It suffered greatly during the wars between Protestants and Catholics and given that history a festival celebrating tolerance makes some sense. Knife crime is a growing issue here in Germany. There is no clarity on who committed this attack at the moment nor why they did it. It sounds like an Islamist attack and the Islamic state has claimed it but they always claim these kinds of things. The targets were older Germans but we do not know anymore at the moment.

 

[mindlight]

Islam is by nature a bit extreme. One tends to imagine any religion that does get large must have broad appeal or something inherently valuable about it...but I don't think that's the case. Christianity spread by both the will of kings and priests who spread the faith. It's self perpetuating nature is inherently in the belief that non-Christians suffer for eternity. Turning some pagan to Christianity is therefore good in the long run...regardless of the short term effects. Islam spreads by belief that it is the only valid belief and no other belief need be respected equally. It believes it is not only true, but the last religion, and eventually the only religion. It's completely acceptable to lie and pretend to respect others and their beliefs...but ultimately, whenever possible, they must be converted or subjugated. The doctrine is strict and no wide difference of interpretation exists like in Christianity. That's because it severely punishes the unfaithful, anyone brave enough to openly leave Islam and condemn it's repressive nature is a target for execution....whereas Christianity tries to forgive the unfaithful, even if it condemns or judges them.

I think people need to try and understand Islam and figure out what way to deal with it. I don't expect their to be any big denominational shift in Islam the way they occur in Christianity because by its very nature....deviation isn't tolerated.

The point about deceit reminded me of a story I heard from a member of my church. He was working with homeless people in our city. A gang of Muslims turned up and pretended to be Christians asking for the food handouts the Christians were carrying for the homeless people. When exposed they laughed this off. Deceit toward Christians was no problem in their view.

 

[Nithavela]

Islam is by nature a bit extreme. One tends to imagine any religion that does get large must have broad appeal or something inherently valuable about it...but I don't think that's the case. Christianity spread by both the will of kings and priests who spread the faith. It's self perpetuating nature is inherently in the belief that non-Christians suffer for eternity. Turning some pagan to Christianity is therefore good in the long run...regardless of the short term effects. Islam spreads by belief that it is the only valid belief and no other belief need be respected equally. It believes it is not only true, but the last religion, and eventually the only religion. It's completely acceptable to lie and pretend to respect others and their beliefs...but ultimately, whenever possible, they must be converted or subjugated. The doctrine is strict and no wide difference of interpretation exists like in Christianity. That's because it severely punishes the unfaithful, anyone brave enough to openly leave Islam and condemn it's repressive nature is a target for execution....whereas Christianity tries to forgive the unfaithful, even if it condemns or judges them.

I think people need to try and understand Islam and figure out what way to deal with it. I don't expect their to be any big denominational shift in Islam the way they occur in Christianity because by its very nature....deviation isn't tolerated.

There are the Ahmadiyya, a islamic reform movement with about 10 to 20 million members, who are far more tolerant in almost every regard. Of course, that causes more traditional islamic denominations to denounce them as not really being muslims, but that mirrors the treatment of early protestants by the catholic church.

 

[Nithavela]

The perpetrator has turned himself in. He is a male 26 year old syrian who should have been deported last year and who never was suspected of terrorist plans.