Chilling moment hooded woman, 39, is arrested after 18 were stabbed in Hamburg: 'I heard everyone start screaming' says eye witness
This is the chilling moment a woman was arrested after 18 people were injured in a horror train station knife rampage in Hamburg that left four victims fighting for their lives.
Police confirmed they had arrested a 39-year-old German female suspect in connection with the stabbing spree at Hamburg Central Station on Friday afternoon.
Footage of the arrest shows a hooded woman wearing tracksuit bottoms being dragged away from the travel hub by two cops and escorted into a police van as members of the public watch in horror.
The suspect, who has not been named, does not appear to put up a fight.
She is believed to have acted alone and there was no sign of her having a political motive. The rampage is not being treated as a terror attack.
The woman, who authorities said was mentally ill and potentially in a 'state of psychological emergency' at the time of attack, was already known to police and had previously spent time in a psychiatric hospital, according to German outlet Bild.
Officers 'approached her, and the woman allowed herself to be arrested without resistance', Hamburg Police spokesman Florian Abbenseth told journalists in comments carried by public broadcaster ARD.
'We have no evidence so far that the woman may had a political motive,' Abbenseth said.
'Rather, we have information based on which we now want to investigate whether she may have been experiencing a psychological emergency.'
At least 18 people were injured in the attack in Germany's second-biggest city, a spokesman for the Hamburg fire department told AFP.
Four of them had suffered life-threatening injuries, the spokesman added, revising down an initial figure of six.
Six others are severely injured and seven more suffered light injuries, the spokesman for the fire department said.
The suspect targeted people on the platform between tracks 13 and 14 in the station, according to police.
A young woman at the station witnessed the stabbing. She told Hamburger Abendblatt: 'Luckily I didn't have headphones on, so I heard everyone screaming, and then they all ran away.'
The station in downtown Hamburg is a major hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.
The Hamburg police reported a 'major police operation' on X.
Pictures on social media showed crowds gathered outside the transport hub, as emergency service vehicles and forensics swarmed the scene
'There is currently a major police operation in #Hamburg on #Hauptbahnhof!
'We are investigating the background and will provide further information here shortly,' the force added.
Pictures on social media showed crowds gathered outside the transport hub, as emergency service vehicles and forensics swarmed the scene.
According to German newspaper Bild, some of the injured were being treated on trains.
In one image a man was being treated on the platform, while another was taken away on a stretcher.
In a statement, the national railway company Deutsche Bahn said it was 'deeply shocked' by the attack. 'Our thoughts and condolences go out to the injured.'
Regional public broadcaster NDR reported that the attack took place shortly after 6 pm (5pm GMT) in front of a waiting train.
A high-speed ICE train with its doors open could be seen at the platform after the attack.
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn said it was 'deeply shocked' by the attack.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a post on social media platform X that the news from Hamburg was 'shocking.'
'My thoughts are with the victims and their families,' he said.
Four tracks at the station were closed Friday evening, and some long-distance trains were delayed or diverted.
Carrying weapons, including knives, is banned at the station and on local transport in Hamburg.
The rampage in Hamburg Central Station is the latest in a spate of bloody knife attacks in Germany.
Earlier this month, a Syrian national is alleged to have attacked and injured at least five football fans in front of the Cuties bar in the western city of Bielefeld.
Four men, aged between 22 and 27, and a woman, aged 26, were reportedly attacked by a man as they stood in front of the bar in the early hours.
Horrified onlookers attempted to knock the attacker down but he managed to flee the scene.
Back in January, a child and adult were killed during a knife attack in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg, which left two more injured.
Last summer, three people died and four were left seriously injured after a knife attack in a festival in the streets of Solingen.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Mom of three murdered girls' share bizarre Father's Day tribute to killer ex who suffocated them
The mother of the three young girls who were allegedly killed by her now-missing ex-husband shared a bizarre Father's Day tribute to him before their tragic deaths. Whitney Decker made a 20-second video featuring a slideshow of photos of her daughters, Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, Olivia Decker, 5, and their father, Travis Decker. The video was made as a Father's Day tribute to her veteran ex-husband who is now wanted on suspicion of murdering their three daughters. Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, provided the video to People. It's unclear when the video, which features Pharrell Williams ' song Happy, was posted. Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia's bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth on Monday, after Travis failed to return them after his visitation on Friday. The girls were found 20 miles from their Washington home with their wrists bound with zip ties and each having been suffocated with a plastic bag. Travis reportedly suffers from 'complex PTSD' and 'other mental issues,' and has since been on the run after vanishing into the woods. Yet, the girls' mother spoke out through Cozart and alleged that their murder 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning. 'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. The attorney, speaking on behalf of Whitney, also noted that it was uncharacteristic of Decker not to return his daughters after a scheduled visitation. His 'declining mental health' and 'out-of-character behavior' should have prompted 'enough concern' for an Amber Alert, Cozart argued. She believes authorities should have acknowledged the sisters were 'missing' and in 'substantial danger', even though Decker 'didn't issue an overt threat'. Court documents state that when Whitney reported her daughters missing on Friday, she 'expressed concern' over his out-of-character actions and his alleged deteriorating mental state. Whitney told police Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents. The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, the documents show. Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She also said Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a, 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state. Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Post Office compensation chief steps down after Sir Alan Bates raised 'serious concerns' about schemes
A Post Office boss who backed compensation for Horizon IT scandal victims has left his position as Sir Alan Bates raised 'serious concerns' about schemes. Leader of the Post Office's Remediation Unit, Simon Recaldin, is believed to have opted for voluntary redundancy and left his post this week. It comes as the first part of a public inquiry report into the controversy, analysing the compensation process as well as the affect on victims, is anticipated to be released in the coming weeks. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Hundreds are still waiting for payouts despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000. A Post Office spokesperson said yesterday Mr Recaldin's departure was a part of an 'organisational design exercise' across the firm. Now Joanne Hanley, who was previously a managing director and global head of client servicing, data and operations for Lloyds', is understood to have taken up a large portion of the former Post Office chief, according to The Telegraph. It comes as Post Office hero Sir Alan Bates accused the government of running a 'quasi kangaroo court' payout system for the scandal's victims last month. More recently, Sir Alan said he would prefer to see the compensation schemes thrown out rather the people working on them. 'We have got serious concerns about the transparency and the parity across the schemes,' he told The Telegraph. Last November, Mr Recaldin giving evidence to the inquiry, apologised after it was unearthed staff who were managing compensation claims had also been embroiled in prosecutions relating to the scandal. When queried about ex Post Office investigators he said: 'So my regret – and it is a genuine regret – is that when I came in, in January 2022, that I didn't do that conflicts check, check back on my inherited team, and challenge that.' It comes as the Sir Alan, who famously won his High Court battle with the Post Office in 2019 revealed that he had been handed a 'take it or leave it' compensation offer of less than half his original claim. Mr Bates, 70, said the first offer, made in January last year, was just one sixth of what he was asking for, adding that it rose to a third in the second offer. He has now been given a 'final take it or leave it offer' - which he said amounts to 49.2 per cent of his original claim. He, alongside 500 other sub-postmasters, will now have to lodge their bid for compensation via the Group Litigation order, managed by the Government. Bates, who led the sub-postmasters' campaign for justice, attacked the government for reneging on assurances given when the compensation schemes were set up The Post Office currently manages the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, which is seperate to the aforementioned. This scheme was organised for victims who have not been compensated but believe they experienced financial loses due to the IT scandal. A Post Office spokesman said: 'As part of the Post Office's commitment to deliver a 'new deal for postmasters', we have undertaken a review of our operating model to ensure we have the right structure in place. 'We have been in consultation with a number of colleagues from across the business, including the Remediation Unit. As a result of this Post Office-wide organisational design exercise, Simon Recaldin has left the business.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I've been publicly crucified for arresting a knife-wielding teenager: Policeman sacked after 10 years' unblemished service gives his side of the story about divisive video
All week, the tributes have poured in. Those whose lives were touched by PC Lorne Castle haven't hesitated to come forward. One woman's account of how her son's life was saved by his 'kindness and humanity' and willingness to 'go beyond what is expected of a police officer' is particularly moving. She wrote about how the troubled teenager lost his way in life and became known to police, who were forever having to bring him home. It was PC Castle, himself a father of three, who ended up talking her boy down from the ledge, in a metaphorical sense as well as a literal one.
