A man reportedly attacked passerby indiscriminately with a knife in Praterstasse, a residential area by the Nestroyplatz metro station, next to Prater Park and just a few miles from Hofburg Castle. Praterstasse is also home to most of Vienna's Jewish population.
"A man attacked a family — a father, a mother and their 17-year-old daughter — with a knife. The three people were seriously injured and their lives are in danger," said Viennese police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer to the Associated Press.
The culprit then reportedly fled the scene. "And half an hour later there was another attack… at Praterstern and here a person was also seriously injured and their life is in danger. We do not know to what extent there is a connection here and any motive remains unclear," Maierhofer went on to say.
A manhunt was launched, with both police and Vienna's tactical police unit WEGA deployed to the scene and surrounding area. Five hours after the attack, Vienna police announced that they had made an arrest over Twitter, although they did not specify who they had arrested. The site of the stabbing was closed off and Praterstasse residents were advised to remain in their homes.
#BREAKING: At least three people are injured as knifeman goes on rampage attacking people at random on the streets of Vienna #Austria pic.twitter.com/3brPAgHkHv
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 7, 2018
— BNL NEWS (@BreakingNLive) March 7, 2018
#BREAKING #UPDATE #Vienna 3 People are injured after a stabbing attack in vienna, suspect is on the run pic.twitter.com/HuCv2NehoK
— BNS (@Breakingservice) March 7, 2018
#BREAKING NEWS: 3 PEOPLE INJURED AFTER A MASS STABBING ATTACK IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA pic.twitter.com/gBjxymsZP6
— BREAKING NEWS (@NewsAlertHQ) March 7, 2018
No motive for the attack has been reported yet. When asked what was known about the assailant during the manhunt, Maierhofer said, "Absolutely nothing. We know we are looking for a man."
