A 36-year-old man, identified by the German police as a Syrian national born in Damascus, has been arrested in Berlin after carrying out two violent knife attacks in the Neukölln district on May 14th.
The spree began around 5:50 a.m. at the Hermannstraße and Sonnenallee bus stop. After a 33-year-old man refused his request for a cigarette, the suspect allegedly stabbed him in the neck from behind without warning. The victim underwent emergency surgery to treat life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition.
Nearly four hours later, at 9:35 a.m., the same suspect struck again aboard another public bus traveling along Pannierstraße. Armed with a knife, he threatened a female passenger and forced her to hand over her money before fleeing the scene.
Police officers apprehended the suspect shortly afterwards. Authorities are currently working to verify his exact identity, and have launched a formal investigation into aggravated assault and armed robbery.
The unprovoked brutality of the attacks, particularly the near-fatal stabbing over a denied cigarette, has shocked the local community as the primary victim continues to fight for his life in the hospital.
