Hamburg Attacker ‘Known as an Islamist’ to Authorities

One person was killed and six others injured Friday in a knife attack at a Hamburg grocery store. The city-state’s interior minister, Andy Grote, said Saturday that the attacker, a 26-year-old migrant, was known to German security forces as an Islamist. “He was known as an Islamist but not a jihadist,” Grote said, adding that “there are indications of radicalization.” The man, who has not been identified, also suffered from psychological problems, Grote said, and it’s unclear whether the “overriding element” was Islamist ideology or mental issues. The attacker reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar!” as he fled the scene, though he was quickly overpowered and restrained by onlookers. Police in Hamburg say the attacker appears to have acted alone, though they have not ruled out that he had accomplices. He had arrived seeking asylum but was facing deportation, a process that was delayed because he lacked the proper identification papers, Grote said.