Amy Mek
This is a developing story. RAIR will continue to provide updates as more details unfold.
Essen (NRW) – Chaos erupted in Essen, Germany, on Saturday evening as a 41-year-old Syrian man armed with a machete and driving a van launched a horrifying series of attacks across the city. The rampage left 31 people injured, including several children who are in critical condition, as flames engulfed buildings and terror spread through the streets.
Een gewapende Syriër (41) verspreidde op zaterdagavond angst en ontzetting in het Essen (Ruhrgebied). Hij stichtte branden en raasde met zijn bestelwagen in meerdere winkels. 31 mensen raakten gewond, twee kinderen verkeren in levensgevaar.#Islam #machete #AllahuAkbar pic.twitter.com/2quJKxPIES
— EWagensveld 👊🏻🇳🇱 VRIJHEID👊🏻 (@EWagensveld) September 29, 2024
At around 5:10 p.m., the nightmare began when the attacker set fire to a residential building on Altenessener Strasse and Pielsticker Strasse. From there, he continued his arson spree, igniting another fire in a house on Zollvereinstrasse. As the flames roared, residents frantically tried to save their loved ones, with heart-wrenching images capturing parents handing their children to rescuers from a gutter.
In total, 29 people were injured in the fires, according to police, though the fire department reported 31. The blaze left many victims in agony, and two children are now fighting for their lives.
But the attacker’s reign of terror didn’t stop there. He returned to his van and headed to Katernberger Strasse, where he rammed the vehicle into the storefront of a greengrocer’s shop—twice. He then got out of the van, brandishing a machete, and began threatening passers-by, who desperately tried to keep him at bay by throwing objects at him.
Police were alerted to the unfolding chaos, and with weapons drawn, they cornered the man in a shed near the greengrocer’s shop. By that time, he had suffered burns on his hands, likely from the fires he started earlier. In a tense confrontation, officers shouted, “Lie down! On the ground!” and managed to subdue him without further violence.
The man was arrested on the spot and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Sunday. As of now, authorities have not provided any details about the motivation behind the attack, leaving the community on edge as they await further updates.
This brutal rampage has left the city in shock, with residents reeling from the violence and destruction that unfolded in mere hours. While the Syrian migrant is now in custody, the scars left by his actions—both physical and emotional—will likely take far longer to heal.
Source: Bild
Vlad Tepes
The Jerusalem Post is reporting police said the attack might be related to marital troubles with his wife, but I have to wonder if this wasn’t an actual terrorist attack coming so soon after Hassan Nasrallah’s elimination in an airstrike in Lebanon. Covering up actual terrorist attacks globally is reaching alarming proportions. The Post said the suspect “was previously known to police for threats and damage to property,” a statement we hear far too often in Europe and other Western countries. Thank you RAIR for continuing to bring us these important stories.