A man randomly stabbed five people, including a 14-year-old boy who died, in southern Austria on Saturday, according to police.

Newsweek reached out to local police via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.

The Context

Stabbing deaths are more common in Europe than in North America.

According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime’s 2019 Global Study on Homicide, firearm deaths accounted for over 70 percent of all homicides while knife-related deaths accounted for less than 20 percent in North America in 2017. In Europe, firearm deaths accounted for about 20 percent of all homicides while knife-related deaths accounted for about 40 percent in 2017, according to the report.

What To Know

A 23-year-old Syrian national living in Austria legally was detained after he stabbed five passersby in the city of Villach, police said. Two of the survivors were seriously injured and the other two had minor injuries, according to authorities. All the victims, including the teen who was killed, were men.

Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told Austrian public broadcaster ORF that a man who witnessed the stabbings drove toward the attacker and helped prevent the situation from worsening. Police say the witness is 42 years old and works for a food delivery company.

Recent Stabbings in Europe

Last month, a 41-year-old man and a 2-year-old boy were fatally stabbed in the city of Aschaffenburg in southeast Germany, Reuters reported, citing police and local officials. Two children, a teacher and a 61-year-old man were also injured.

The suspected attacker was a 28-year-old man from Afghanistan. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann for the German state of Bavaria said the attacker deliberately went after a kindergarten group in a park with a kitchen knife.

In July 2024, three girls—Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6—were fatally stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at a small dance and yoga studio in the northern England town of Southport. Eight more children and two adults were also injured in the attack.

The suspected attacker Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 years old during the stabbings, was charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an Al Qaeda manual.

Riots, fueled by far-right activists, across England and Northern Ireland erupted after Rudakubana, then unnamed, was falsely identified as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain. Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants.

What People Are Saying

Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, said on Saturday: “This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences. I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values.”

Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said on Saturday that a motive has yet to be determined and that authorities are investigating the Syrian national’s personal background.

“We have to wait until we get secure information,” Dionisio said.

Erwin Angerer, an Austrian lawmaker and member of the far-right Freedom Party, said on Saturday that his party had been warning about the situation in their country due to its “disastrous asylum policy.”

What Happens Next

Austria’s Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner was expected to visit Villach on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, police are unsure if the attacker acted on his own and are searching for other potential suspects.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.