"Big machete in his hand" 34-year-old injures pregnant woman, baby and three other people in St. Gallen
According to the St. Gallen cantonal police, several people were injured, some seriously, in a violent confrontation in St. Gallen on Thursday evening.
12.07.2024, 04:33
12.07.2024, 11:25
SDA
Update 11 a.m.: The apartment building where the drama occurred apparently had to be evacuated: A flammable liquid and gas have been detected in the apartment of the alleged perpetrator, "20 Minuten" reports.
The commuter newspaper also spoke to a witness from the house. He and his "family had already noticed the alleged perpetrator in the past": "I saw the man from the balcony. He had a large machete in his hand and was shouting," he recalls.
The man ran outside: "I wanted to help. A woman kept screaming loudly for help." But apparently neighbors were quicker: "A woman and a man tried to overpower him."
Update 9 a.m.: The cantonal police have released new details about the crime. The perpetrator is a 34-year-old Swiss man who lives in the house in Hochwachtstrasse where the case took place.
"According to current information, he suddenly attacked a 29-year-old, heavily pregnant woman in the stairwell. She intended to visit her 66-year-old father." He was also injured.
Other neighbors became aware of what was happening, the report continues: "They followed the perpetrator outside. There he injured another 31-year-old tenant who had her three-month-old toddler with her." The perpetrator did not stop at the baby either.
A helper who was holding the Machten man was also injured: "All the people involved were operated on. According to current information, no one's life is in danger," writes the cantonal police.
The St. Gallen cantonal police received a report of a violent altercation in Hochwachtstrasse shortly after 9.30 p.m. on Thursday evening.
A large contingent of rescue workers, police and firefighters were then deployed. The emergency services arrived to find at least four people injured, some of them seriously.
According to a statement from the cantonal police, the suspected perpetrator was arrested. There is no longer any danger to the population.
According to police spokesman Hanspeter Krüsi, the background to the crime, the number of people injured and the extent of their injuries are still unclear. The investigation is ongoing.
The St. Gallen cantonal police will provide information on Friday morning about the details of the crime, the people involved and injured and the perpetrators. Until then, the cantonal police will not be able to provide any further information.