Two U.S. servicemen are in custody following a fatal stabbing Saturday evening at a fun fair in Germany, police reported.
After an argument at the Säubrenner fair in the small town of Wittlich on the evening of Aug. 19, a 28-year-old German national was fatally stabbed, NBC News reported, citing a release by German law enforcement officials. Initially, police identified a group of four people seen by witnesses near the crime scene as suspects, but later zeroed in on two suspects identified only as U.S. servicemen, aged 25 and 26, the outlet stated.
Joachim Rodenkirch, the mayor of Wittlich, condemned the stabbing at the fair, saying the incident “changed the city overnight.”
“I am shocked and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Säubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully,” he stated, adding that the fair was an important part of the city’s identity.
Two U.S. service members have been arrested in western Germany over the death of a man at a funfair, local police and the U.S. Air Force say. https://t.co/ipdSWL2G22
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 21, 2023
Though their names and ranks have not been released, the servicemen were confirmed to have been stationed at U.S. Air Force’s Spangdahlem Air Base, which is located near Wittlich. The two soldiers are in U.S. custody and will remain so throughout the duration of the investigation that will also be undertaken by U.S. authorities “in accordance with the NATO troop statute,” NBC News reported. (RELATED: Army Sergeant Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering Fellow Soldier)
“This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community,” Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at the base, said in the statement, according to the outlet. “We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course.”