Several residents were taken to the hospital with suspected smoke inhalation. No other people were injured in the knife attack itself. According to fire experts from the State Criminal Police Office and an expert, the Somali may have caused the fire in the apartment himself. Whether negligent or intentional, according to a police spokesman, that is still the subject of the investigation. The fire investigators ruled out a technical cause of the fire with a high degree of probability.

The fire brigade had initially informed the police about the apartment fire in the district of Lehen. At the same time, emergency calls were received by the police, whereupon a person ran out of the smoke-filled building with a knife, threatening residents and passers-by. The Somali suspect then attacked one of the callers with a knife for no apparent reason, but did not injure him. The man then fled on foot.

When he was stopped shortly afterwards by a police patrol on the banks of the Glan, the suspect attacked the officers with a knife. According to reports, the police fired three shots to stop the attack. As a police spokesman said to the APA, there are currently some indications that the perpetrator is in a mental state of emergency. However, it is still too early to make binding statements. The State Criminal Police Office in Salzburg is now investigating the use of firearms, the motive and the circumstances of the crime, any further crimes committed by the perpetrator or other events.

The apartment where the fire broke out is believed to have been completely destroyed in the fire. The fire was associated with heavy smoke. When the emergency services arrived, numerous residents saw each other at the windows and called for help. A total of 30 people were evacuated, some people were rescued from their homes with the turntable ladder. 27 residents were accommodated in a nearby hotel. The residential building was cordoned off over a large area, according to initial information, four to five apartments are likely to be uninhabitable due to soot, heat, extinguishing water and a heating system rupture.