The fire brigade first informed the police about the apartment fire in the Lehen district in the morning. 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 suspect – apparently a Somali living in the apartment building – then attacked the caller 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. In order to stop the attack, the police have so far fired three shots. As a police spokesman said to the APA, a suspicion of terrorism is probably a point of contact, and there are currently many indications that the perpetrator is in a mental state of emergency. However, it is still too early to make binding statements. The Salzburg State Criminal Police Office is now investigating the use of firearms, the motive and the circumstances of the crime, in particular the cause of the fire and any other crimes committed by the perpetrator.

The apartment where the fire broke out is believed to have been completely destroyed in the fire. The fire was associated with heavy smoke. It was initially unclear whether the man set the fire himself. 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. Two people were taken to the hospital and 27 others were taken to a nearby hotel. The residential building was cordoned off over a large area and is currently not habitable – also because, according to the fire brigade, the heating system broke.