Schizophrenic man kills several in Germany attack

At least three people have been killed and 10 others seriously injured in a knife attack by a 24-year-old Somali man in Würzburg, Germany.

Officials say the man has been undergoing psychiatric treatment in recent days, after surprising locals by his behavior in recent months.

Police later stopped the attack after the man was shot in the leg, and said he suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria’s interior minister in Würzburg, said that while most of the injured were in critical condition, he was unsure how long they would be in hospital.

The unnamed sick Somali man has lived in Würzburg since 2015, according to Herrmann.

“His condition has been known for months, and he was seen behaving violently a few days ago, after which he was forced to undergo psychiatric treatment,” Herrmann said.

Herrmann later told television that, according to one eyewitness, the man was shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.

“This suggests that his actions may have been motivated by extremism, but it is still under investigation,” said Joachim Herrmann.

The dead included a young boy and one of his parents.

Police said there were no indications that others were involved in the attack, and the situation has now returned to normal.

Television footage shows a (Somali) man with bare feet, chasing people with a knife. Some footage also showed blood spilled on the streets.

Würzburg, an ancient city of 130,000 people, is 100 km southeast of Frankfurt.