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MUNICH — A suspect in a Friday night knife attack in Germany that killed three people and wounded eight others has been arrested, officials said Saturday.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in the western German city of Solingen, where a celebration of the city’s anniversary had been taking place, officials said. Four of the six severely injured are still in life-threatening
condition.

The state interior minister of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, confirmed during a live TV interview Saturday that the alleged attacker has been arrested and that pieces of evidence were found.

He would not share further details saying that the investigation is ongoing and that the suspect is being currently questioned. He added that police had followed leads to this individual throughout the day.

Reul confirmed that the suspect, based on his current knowledge, had stayed at the refugee shelter that was searched earlier. He did not say that the arrest took place there.

Düsseldorf police, which are leading the investigation, also confirmed the suspect's arrest but could not provide additional information, also citing the ongoing investigation.

The suspect's identity has not been released.

This was the third arrest today in connection with the attack — the other was a 15-year-old and a man — police said they did not believe either of them were the attacker but both were questioned.

Investigators believed the 15-year-old, who was detained Saturday morning, may have had prior knowledge of the attack. Two witnesses told police after the attack that the 15-year-old had a conversation with another person about plans for an attack.

The Islamic State-run Amaq news agency released a statement Saturday saying the attacker targeted Christians and is a “soldier of the Islamic State” who carried out the attack “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”

Markus Röhrl, Wuppertal police president, said during a news conference Saturday that prior to the festival there was no concrete threat.

The attack happened Friday at 9:40 p.m. local time during a celebration for the city’s 650th anniversary. The “Festival of Diversity” began Friday and was to run through Sunday. Authorities have cancelled the remainder of the festival.

Reul told the press Friday the attacker came “out of nowhere” stabbed people randomly. The dead include one woman and two men, he said.

German DJ Tobias Topic wrote on Instagram that security personnel asked him to continue playing his set even as the attack was unfolding in order to prevent mass panic. He said he kept playing, "even though it was incredibly hard."

He added that the music was stopped after about 15 minutes, and that he hid with others in a nearby store while police helicopters circled above.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Saturday he mourns the victims and underscored that “the perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the full extent of the law.”

Mayor Tim Kurzbach said in a statement Friday night, "We are all in shock, horror and great sadness in Solingen. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now we have to mourn dead and injured people.”

"I also have great sympathy for all the people who had to witness this; it must have been terrible images. I thank all the rescue and security forces for their efforts," Kurzbach said. "I ask you, if you believe, to pray with me and if not, then to hope
with me.”

Hendrik Wüst, the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Solingen is located, also expressed his shock and said the state is with the people of the city and the victims.

"An act of brutal and senseless violence has struck our country at the heart," Wüst said.

Solingen is a city of around 150,000 about 16 miles northeast of Cologne.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/deadly-knife-attack-festival-germany-rcna168050

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