He allegedly wanted to kill people in a synagogue and then let the police shoot him. An 18-year-old is now in custody. Another suspect was arrested a few weeks ago.
Around three weeks after the arrest of a 24-year-old in Bad Friedrichshall, Baden-Württemberg, investigators have reconstructed alleged details and arrested a second suspect aged 18 from Weinheim.
Both men had spoken via chat about a “possible knife attack on visitors to a synagogue in Heidelberg,” the authorities said. Both people then wanted to be shot by police, they said.
The 18-year-old is a German-Turk. The other, 24-year-old man is a German citizen, according to the police.
House search uncovered plans
A house search at the beginning of June led to the discovery of the alleged plans. As the State Criminal Police Office in Stuttgart and the public prosecutors’ offices in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe explained, IT experts were able to identify the 18-year-old as the chat partner of the 24-year-old suspect.
Physical attack on officials
The 24-year-old man is already in custody. In addition to preparing a serious crime endangering the state, he is also accused of attempted manslaughter and a particularly serious case of physical assault on law enforcement officers. He attacked police officers with kitchen knives during a search around three weeks ago and was shot in the process. The 24-year-old is believed to have traveled abroad to prepare a terrorist attack. The authorities did not provide any details. The 18-year-old is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder.
Strobl: Murderous act prevented
State Interior Minister Thomas Strobl said that a “murderous act against Jewish life” had been prevented. The police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had the protection of Jewish life “firmly in their sights,” he added on Friday in Stuttgart. The authorities were therefore able to intervene at an early stage.