“Fucking Muslims”

Man stabs two people: “Fucking Muslims”

Bismarckstraße in Linz(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Massive commotion early Saturday evening in downtown Linz. Near the heavily trafficked Landstraße, chaotic scenes unfolded in which two people were stabbed. One of the victims died shortly afterward in the hospital. The suspected assailant was apprehended.

It was around 5:50 p.m. when, on Linz’s Bismarckstraße, a man suddenly lunged at another man while screaming loudly, attacking him with a knife and stabbing him. The assailant then reportedly ran toward Landstraße and stabbed a second man at the corner.

He then fled the scene. Unfortunately, the second victim succumbed to his severe injuries shortly afterward in the emergency room at Kepler University Hospital (KUK). The other man was taken to the trauma center with serious injuries.

According to unconfirmed reports, the attacker is said to have shouted “Fucking Muslims” during the attacks. There were also several witnesses to the incidents. Panic reportedly spread among the passersby. “People ran up to me and told me that someone had been stabbed; I called the ambulance, which arrived shortly afterward,” says Alessandro, manager of Ristorante Surace on Landstraße.

“I became aware of the incident because I heard loud screams coming from the street. When I looked out the window, I saw a man standing in the middle of the street, blocking the cars from passing,” says local resident Martina. The man was screaming, gesticulating wildly, and then continued toward Volksgarten.

A major alert was issued, and a large contingent of police was deployed, searching frantically for the man with the knife. He was finally apprehended by members of the Rapid Intervention Group (SIG) around 6 p.m. on Volksgartenstraße.

The knife was also seized. The motive for the acts remains unclear. Both the victims and the perpetrator are believed to be residents of Linz. Whether they knew each other is still under investigation.