Messer attack at Hamburg Central Station: 18 injuries, police call for AI control!

Messer attack at Hamburg Central Station: 18 injuries, police call for AI control!

Hamburger Hauptbahnhof, Hamburg, Deutschland - On Friday evening there was a brutal knife attack in Hamburg's main train station. At around 6:05 p.m., a 39-year-old woman injured a total of 18 people on a platform between the tracks 13 and 14. Four of the injuries are in mortal danger, six more serious injuries and eight people were slightly injured. The crime occurred against the background of a waiting ICE and was indiscriminately among the travelers who stood closely on the platform, such as Tagesschau.de reported.

The police and rescue workers were quickly on site and were able to arrest the perpetrator without resistance. Initial investigations showed that the woman was apparently in a mental state of emergency. So far there is no evidence of a political motive, and the police assume a single act. The area between chicken post and stone gate was cordoned off far, while tracks 13 and 14 were initially closed. However, rail traffic has already been restored at night.

political reactions and demands

In response to the incident, several politicians were affected. Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher and Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt condemned the attack and thanked the emergency services for their quick reaction. Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered Tschentscher support on the part of the federal government. In addition, Andreas Roßkopf, the chairman of the federal police in the police union (GdP), called for a comprehensive increase in control options at train stations.

Roßkopf pointed out that such attacks can never be completely prevented and suggested the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support police work. In his opinion, AI-supported camera technology could contribute to behavior monitoring to recognize potential dangers at an early stage. These developments are particularly relevant against the background of increasing violence at train stations. According to Bundesag.de , the Federal Police recorded a total of 27,160 violent offenses at train stations and trains in 2023

information for those affected

The Hamburg victim officer offers support for those affected, both for physical and mental injuries. For further information on the crime, the police have set up their own notification, in the hope of gaining additional knowledge about the incident. Carrying weapons, including knives, is prohibited in Hamburg's main train station, but the platform was heavily frequented on Friday evening with over 500,000 people, which underlines the tragedy of the attack.