Germany’s immigration policies are once again under fire after a violent stabbing spree rocked the city of Bielefeld early Sunday morning. A 35-year-old Syrian asylum seeker is now at the center of a manhunt after allegedly launching a brutal knife attack that left five young people injured—two of them fighting for their lives.
The attack unfolded around 4:20 a.m. outside the bustling Cutie student bar, where revelers had gathered to celebrate Arminia Bielefeld’s promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. But the festive mood turned to horror when the suspect, identified as Mahmoud M., suddenly lashed out, stabbing multiple victims without warning.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of sheer chaos—blood on the pavement, people screaming for help, and bodies collapsing in the street. Paramedics arrived swiftly, rushing the wounded—aged between 23 and 27—to nearby hospitals. Thankfully, police later confirmed all five victims are now stable.
The suspect, a Syrian national housed in an asylum shelter in Harsewinkel, dropped a backpack during his escape. What officers found inside raised even more alarm: a knife, what may have been a concealed blade disguised as a walking stick, and a PET bottle filled with a flammable, gas-smelling liquid—hinting at a possibly larger, more sinister plot.
His residence permit, issued just last year, was also in the bag—linking him directly to the scene. Police units, including Special Operations, stormed his apartment hours later, but it was already too late. Neighbors claimed to have seen him earlier, but by the time officers arrived, he’d vanished.
Authorities described the fugitive as around 1.65 to 1.70 meters tall, with a “southern” appearance. Last seen wearing a North Face jacket, dark pants, and a baseball cap, Mahmoud M. is considered armed and dangerous. Police are urging the public not to approach him but to report sightings immediately.
While the motive remains unclear, investigators say the victims were attacked at random. “We’re pursuing every possible lead with urgency,” said police spokeswoman Katja Küster. “There’s still no clear motive, and all angles are being explored.”
The case has sparked national outrage and reignited debate over Germany’s immigration controls—particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the suspect had been granted temporary protection. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD party, slammed the CDU-led regional government for failing to deport migrants whose asylum claims no longer hold water. “This is the tragic outcome of a broken migration policy,” she wrote on X.
The Bielefeld stabbing wasn’t an isolated incident. Just hours later in Halle, a Kosovar national allegedly knifed three people—including a 12-year-old girl—during a heated dispute. Meanwhile, in Reinbek, an Afghan migrant reportedly assaulted another child. To top it off, reports of an ongoing shooting in Berlin added to the sense of chaos across the country.
Former BILD editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt summed up the grim day with biting sarcasm: “A Syrian stabs five in Bielefeld. A Kosovar attacks three, including a child, in Halle. An Afghan assaults a child in Reinbek. Berlin has a shooting underway. A day that will go down in history as Colorful Sunday.”
As Germany reels from yet another wave of violence tied to its open-door policies, critics are demanding urgent reform. The question on everyone’s lips: how many more lives must be shattered before real change begins?
