Somali man kills 3, 6 others 'very severely injured' in deadly knife attack in German city

Three people are dead and a further six have been injured in a deadly knife attack by a Somali man who went on a mass stabbing spree on the streets of Würzburg, Germany. Investigators are not ruling out the possibility that the attack was intended to be an act of terror motivated by Islamist ideology as the attacker yelled “Allahu Akbar” before striking.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann stated that five of those injured in the attack as either “severely” or “very severely injured,” some of whom may not survive their wounds. A number of other people were also injured but with less serious injuries.

The suspect was reportedly shot before police arrested him. He has since been identified as a 24-year-old Somali migrant who moved to the city in 2015, according to Bild. The suspect was reportedly receiving psychiatric care before the attack and had drawn attention to himself in past months for “violent actions or readiness,” said Herrmann.

Investigators are currently looking into the motive of the attack, stating that he was not known to the police for crimes that “lean in the direction of Islamic extremism," however bystanders say that the attacker yelled "Allahu Akbar."

“Naturally, we need to compile all the evidence that we can,” said Herrmann, who added, “In any case, there is circumstantial evidence that this could have been an Islamist attack."

On German social media, police urged the public to refrain from speculating about the Somali assailant’s motives and to not share videos of the violence after footage of the attacker emerged on Twitter.

In one video, pedestrians are seen pursuing the suspect as he runs down the street as others hold him at bay with metal chairs and sticks.

"We mourn with the victims and their families. We share fear and hope with the injured,” said Bavarian State Premier Markus Soder.