Lone attackers in Germany

This item appears on page 21 of the September 2016 issue.

On July 17, near Würzburg, Germany, a 17-year-old Afghani asylum-seeker attacked passengers on a train with a knife and axe, wounding four tourists from Hong Kong, three seriously. The attacker was later killed by police when he attempted to flee.

On July 22, a German-Iranian teenager opened fire at a shopping mall in Munich, killing nine people and injuring 35 before killing himself. According to evidence found in his home, the gunman had been obsessed with mass shootings. There was no evidence that he had been inspired by or had associated with any terrorist group.

On July 24, an asylum-seeker from Syria detonated a suicide bomb near a music festival being held in the town of Ansbach after his asylum application was denied. Fifteen people were injured. The bomber declared allegiance to Daesh before the attack.