German prosecutors said on Friday that they have yet to identify the cause of Thursday’s violent attack on a high-speed train that left four people hurt.
However, tests confirmed that the 20-year-old Syrian suspect had drugs in his system.
The alleged attack, involving a hammer and an axe, occurred on a train travelling from Hamburg to Vienna through Bavaria.
Regensburg’s chief prosecutor, Thomas Rauscher, stated that the motive remains “an open question,” and he could “not confirm or rule out an extremist or terrorist motive.” While one witness reportedly heard the suspect say “Allahu Akbar,” this has not been verified.
Stefan Schillinger, police chief in Straubing, confirmed the suspect had “definitely had drugs in his system,” with specific substances still being identified.
Schillinger added that the suspect’s unusual behaviour had already drawn passenger attention before he attacked a 38-year-old German man who tried to raise the alarm.
The suspect then allegedly assaulted a Syrian woman and her two sons, aged 24 and 15. The elder son reportedly managed to disarm and strike the suspect in self-defence, seriously injuring him. The suspect is currently hospitalised.
The Austrian interior ministry revealed Friday that the suspect arrived in Austria as a minor, received refugee protection in 2022, but was convicted of bodily harm and obstruction of justice this year.
Proceedings were underway to revoke his asylum status.
The attack coincided with Austria’s announcement of deporting a convicted criminal to Syria, making it the first EU country to do so recently.
