Single individual according to police, witness statements conflicting so don't jump to any conclusions. Stay away from Russian propaganda
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Shit happens, crazies are everywhere, but it's a good sign that these incidents are far and few between.
There is an ongoing political discussion (maybe they passed a law already, not sure) about banning the public carrying of various types of knives. I had the impression that the discussion came out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, but maybe I was wrong.
It's a stupid debate that completely misses the point. Knives are already fairly tightly regulated in Germany. Even the ones you can carry legally with up to 12 cm blades you wouldn't be able to carry without issues in areas like the city or whatever. So reducing that length is not going to do anything but make it even harder for those who legitimately can or even have to carry knives around. People who intend to use them for illegal acts will just continue to do so.
The stupidest thing about this is, that I don't think any law prohibiting the carrying of knives could stop a terrorist from doing something like this and a general ban of knives is not possible.
The weapons law from 2014 already banned knives at gatherings. Like you would be okay to buy one at a shop and take it home, but not allowed to bring it to a festival or so. It's a complicated law with addendums and attachments and it makes distinctions of types of knives, like non-pointy rescue knives for cutting seatbelts would still be allowed while butterfly knives or switchblades are totally forbidden.
There are already German federal laws banning public carrying of knives in many areas, but there's some exceptions if you have it in a locked container for people who need to bring knives for work.
There have been a few high profile cases and a general uptick in knife crime so that's why they're doing this.
Now many are calling for stricter gun laws. Let's do it like in the USA: everyone with a gun in their hand, prisons overcrowded, police brutality and right-wing radicals in political power who incite hatred against black people and Muslims. /sarc