German police arrest second suspect in connection with fatal stabbing

German police have arrested a second person as they investigate a knife attack on Friday that left three people dead and eight injured in the western city of Solingen.

A man was arrested on Saturday night at a refugee building near the site of the attack in the city centre.

Meanwhile, German media are now reporting that the suspected attacker has turned himself in to police. Reports in Bild and Spiegel described him wearing dirty, blood-stained clothes.

Earlier on Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the stabbing that shocked Germany. He is not the main suspect – but is alleged to have known about the attack.

Late Saturday, North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul confirmed to German broadcaster ARD that the knife-wielding suspect had been arrested, but did not provide further details.

Earlier, a police spokesman in the German state where Solingen is located confirmed the second arrest at the asylum centre. The spokesman did not provide further details about the individual.

The Bild website reported that special forces (SEK) stormed the asylum center and arrested a suspect.

The building is located about 300m (984ft) from the Fronhof – Solingen’s central market square, where the stabbings took place on Friday night, the report said.

Earlier in the day, investigators found a knife they believe was used by the attacker.

Two men, aged 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman were stabbed to death at a festival, in what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described as a “horrific act”.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday.

No evidence was immediately available and it was not clear how close his relationship was to the attacker.

The attacker is believed to have randomly stabbed passers-by during a festival marking the 650th anniversary of the founding of the industrial city of Solingen.

Police said the situation in the square after the attack was “very chaotic” making it difficult to find the perpetrator.

They also confirmed that the attacker had “targeted” people’s throats and necks.

Solingen – a city famous for its steel industry – has a population of about 160,000. The city is located about 25km (15 miles) east of Düsseldorf.

City authorities have asked people to leave the Fronhof area following the attack at around 22:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Friday.

A planned three-day city celebration – expected to attract around 75,000 people – was cancelled following the attack.

Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach later said that “all of us in Solingen are shocked, horrified and deeply saddened.

“I am heartbroken that an attack happened in our city. I shed tears thinking about the lives lost.

“I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives. My deepest condolences to all those who have had to go through this, these images must be horrifying.”

The entrance to Fronhof is currently guarded by police.

People brought flowers and candles to the scene of the attack that shocked the country.

Players in Germany’s top football league Bundesliga wore black armbands during matches on Saturday.