Hendrik Wüst, the Prime Minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, called the knife attack an “act of terror against the security and freedom of this country”.

“This attack hits our country in the heart. This attack was intended to sow terror, terror among people who celebrate together,” he said during a visit to Solingen, a city shaken by grief.

Three people have died and four are currently fighting for their lives in hospital, police said earlier.

A reminder of the key information shared by German police during a lunchtime press conference:

• A 15-year-old, who allegedly spoke to the attacker shortly before the stabbing in Solingen, has been arrested
• Police have not ruled out a terrorist motive behind the attack, but the motive is still under investigation
• The three dead were a 67-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman
• Several knives were seized, but police do not know which, if any, were used in the attack
• Four people are ‘very seriously’ injured and still fighting for their lives
• Victims and witnesses receive guidance and support from specialized police teams

German police have set up a web portal for tips about the knife attack in Solingen, who is still at large on Saturday evening.

Thorsten Fleiss, the local police chief in Solingen, said the public has already provided “extensive” material on the case.

The attacker has been on the run since stabbing more than ten people around 9:30 p.m. last night, killing three.

The investigation is still ongoing, so police cannot currently “publish a specific photo of the perpetrator because we cannot yet specifically identify him,” Deutsche Welle reports.

The police do not yet have a clear description of the attacker.

Ursula von der Leyen, the German president of the European Commission who served under Angela Merkel’s government, has spoken out against the stabbings.

She wrote on X: “Deeply shocked by the brutal and treacherous attack in Solingen. My thoughts are with the families of the dead and the wounded, to whom I wish a speedy recovery.

“My thanks go to the rescue services and the police. We must quickly clarify the background of this crime.”

Nancy Faeser, the German Minister of the Interior, has arrived in Solingen to meet Hendrik Wuest, the Prime Minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Upon arrival at Solingen Town Hall, she will issue a press statement about the attacks.

Here’s a look back at the comments Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach made when he spoke to reporters this morning.

The people of Solingen are “full of shock and sadness,” he said, adding that “our hearts are torn.”

“What happened in our city yesterday barely let us sleep.

“We work all night, all the time, to organize everything imaginable. Yet this great pain remains,” he said.

“I continue to pray and hope that the relatives will find comfort. That the wounded and injured will recover. And I ask you to continue to hope and pray with us here in Solingen.”

Solingen authorities have set up emergency services for victims of the attack. Many victims have friends and family in the city.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his shock on social media about the mass stabbing.

“The perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the full extent of the law,” he said in a post on X.

He added: “The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me deeply. An attacker brutally murdered several people. I have just spoken to the mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand with their families.”

The country’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said security services were doing everything they could to capture the person and investigate the background to the attack.

Mrs Faeser will visit Solingen this afternoon.

Here is a summary of the information previously shared by the German police:

• A 15-year-old, who allegedly spoke to the attacker shortly before the stabbing in Solingen, has been arrested
• Police have not ruled out a terrorist motive behind the attack, but the motive is still under investigation
• The three dead were a 67-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman
• Several knives were seized, but police do not know which, if any, were used in the attack
• Four people are ‘very seriously’ injured and still fighting for their lives
• Victims and witnesses receive guidance and support from specialized police teams

Police suspect that the perpetrator is still at large and that the 15-year-old suspect is not behind the attack.

Two witnesses told police that they heard a conversation between the 15-year-old boy and the suspected perpetrator shortly before the stabbing.

The witnesses only realized what they had heard after the attack.

So the teenager was arrested in connection with the stabbings, but is not accused of being the perpetrator, only of knowing about it.

Police suspect that the perpetrator is still at large.