The seven people arrested following a violent shooting and stabbing in Cologne have all been released after prosecutors concluded that there was insufficient evidence to justify keeping them in custody.
The incident unfolded late on Monday evening, August 3rd, on Berliner Straße in Cologne, where two large families from immigrant backgrounds became involved in a violent confrontation that left four people seriously injured. Two victims suffered gunshot wounds, while another two were stabbed. Despite the violence occurring on a public street, police said there was no danger to the wider public.
Investigators initially detained the four injured individuals along with two 19-year-olds and a 21-year-old in connection with the attack. However, the public prosecutor’s office announced that none of the suspects would remain in custody because the legal threshold for arrest warrants had not been met.
According to a spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office, the “necessary level of suspicion” could not be established because investigators were unable to determine which individual was responsible for which specific act during the confrontation.
While all seven suspects have now been released, prosecutors stressed that the investigation is continuing. Authorities believe the violence was preceded by an ongoing dispute between the two families involved.
“It can be assumed that there were apparently significant disputes between the two families involved beforehand,” the public prosecutor’s office spokesman said.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. German newspaper Bild reported that a sexual assault may have taken place before the violence erupted. Prosecutors acknowledged that such a scenario could “not be ruled out,” but the spokesman said he would not participate in any speculation regarding that claim.
Investigators are now focused on reconstructing the sequence of events in order to determine who may be criminally responsible for the shooting, the stabbings, or any other offenses committed during the altercation. Authorities also believe additional individuals may have participated in the violence and are continuing to examine their possible involvement.
Police have not disclosed the nationalities of those involved in the clash. The case comes as Cologne has recently faced scrutiny over migration issues after the city refused to deport approximately 500 migrants who are legally required to leave Germany.
