A 28-year-old was killed in an argument at a fair in Wittlich, Rhineland-Palatinate. He suffered a fatal stab wound on Saturday night, according to the police in Trier. On Saturday evening, the police provisionally arrested two suspects. The police headquarters in Trier announced that they were two men aged 25 and 26.
In fact, it was at the Säubrenner fair that had been running since Friday. According to the city, the fair should continue despite the deadly attack.
According to the first findings of the officials, two men had left the crime scene in the city center shortly after the crime. One of the two had a bleeding injury in the face, possibly on the forehead, it said. According to the current state of investigation, the two arrested are these two men, the police said in the evening. The two would have left the party accompanied by two women. The police initially did not provide any further information, such as the nationality of the suspects.
The officers were on site on Saturday to secure evidence. “Investigations are in full swing,” said a police spokesman at noon. “We will gradually search the fixed area relevant to our investigation.” This is now “a huge crime scene” for the police. In the afternoon, the crime scene recording was then largely completed.
Police are looking for witnesses
The criminal police took over the investigation and was also looking for witnesses. According to the spokesman, the officials assumed that at the time of the crime there were still people celebrating and they might have made observations. In the afternoon it was said that some tips had been received.
The incident overshadowed the traditional Säubrenner fair in Wittlich, which also attracts national visitors – the police had expected up to 100,000 people by the end of the folk festival next Monday.
“I am horrified and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Säubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully,” said Mayor Joachim Rodenkirch, according to the announcement. The city decided with a heavy heart “to let the fair continue despite the tragedy”. The decision was not easy. The celebrations would now be accompanied by a “thoughtful, subdued atmosphere”.
According to the city, the parade planned for Saturday could not be held because of the investigations, and several streets were temporarily inaccessible and the fair program was initially canceled in parts of the city.
