North Rhine-Westphalia
Deadly argument at the carousel – Münster cancels the festival
The Send folk festival is canceled prematurely because of the crime. photo
© David Poggemann/Nord-West-Media/dpa
A visit to a fair in Münster ends fatally for a 31-year-old, the perpetrator is on the run. A homicide detective begins work. The city ends the folk festival.
In the middle of a fair in Münster, a man was stabbed after an argument and died. A previously unknown perpetrator got into a fight with the 31-year-old on a carousel on Saturday evening, according to the police and prosecutors. The perpetrator is said to have stabbed his opponent with a knife. Despite immediate resuscitation measures, the 31-year-old died on the spot from his injuries.
A homicide commission has started the investigation, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office reported on request. The search for the alleged perpetrator continues. A call for witnesses was started, every tip is important. The suspect was traveling with a male companion. After the incident, both fled. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the suspicion only refers to one person, not to the companion.
The head of the murder commission, Chief Inspector Heiner Olthuis, said according to the statement: “Immediately after the crime, we were able to secure video recordings that show the suspect with his companion and the crime.” The two should report to the police. “The recordings are suitable for a public search for the suspect and his companion.” The body was to be autopsied on Sunday.
Volksfest Send cancelled
The city of Münster canceled the Send folk festival prematurely. The city announced that the largest fair in the Münsterland, which has up to a million visitors a year, will remain closed on Sunday. Mayor Markus Lewe said according to the announcement: “After the fatal knife attack late on Saturday evening, the continuation of the broadcast is prohibited out of respect for the victim.” The act was a shock for Münster. According to the city, the 31-year-old is a family man.
The public prosecutor’s office did not comment on this. No personal information is given. According to previous knowledge, the two men met by chance at the folk festival.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst was stunned. “A brutal act ends a boisterous folk festival for many people in shock. The police are investigating at full speed. My thoughts are with the family of the victim,” wrote the CDU politician on Twitter.
The Send in Münster with showmen from all over Germany takes place three times a year on the fairground on the Schlossplatz. This year’s Spring Show opened on March 11 and would normally have ended on Sunday evening. Mayor Lewe (CDU) wanted to visit the crime scene and light a memorial candle for the victim.