In the case of the attack on a regional train from Kiel to Hamburg, in which a man killed two people and injured several on Wednesday, investigators say there is no evidence of a terrorist background.

The spokesman for the Itzehoe public prosecutor's office, Peter Müller-Rakow, told the German Press Agency on Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the man stabbed several passengers while driving.

According to the information, the perpetrator is a 33-year-old stateless Palestinian.

Until recently, the alleged perpetrator was still in a Hamburg correctional facility (JVA).

The reason was a bodily harm, said the police department in Itzehoe, Schleswig-Holstein, on Thursday.

According to dpa information, the man was housed in the Hamburg JVA Billwerder.

Most recently, the stateless Palestinian was without a permanent address, according to the police.

According to the "Spiegel" the man was in custody until January 19 for a very similar crime.

Accordingly, the man is said to have stabbed a man in January 2022 at a food distribution for the homeless.

The "Spiegel" relies on the statement of the Hamburg court spokesman Kai Wantzen.

According to Wantzen, the injuries inflicted were "potentially life-threatening".

The alleged perpetrator had stated that he had consumed large amounts of cocaine, heroin and alcohol before the crime.

Brave passengers prevented worse

The alleged perpetrator is to be brought before the magistrate in the afternoon.

Dozens of people witnessed the crime, brave passengers probably prevented worse.

The two victims of the attack are a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old woman.

“One of the victims is female and one is male.

Everything else will follow during the day," said a police spokeswoman in Itzehoe on Thursday.

The identities of the two dead have also been clarified.

"We'll definitely say something today." The condition and severity of the injuries to the other victims was initially unclear in the morning.

Evidence that the attacker may be mentally confused

According to the police, the alleged perpetrator, a stateless Palestinian, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

"The background is still unclear," said a police spokeswoman.

There were initial indications that the alleged attacker could be mentally disturbed.

The German press agency learned this from security circles.

According to preliminary findings, he had not been noticed as an extremist in northern Germany.

According to consistent media reports, the man is said to have made several police appearances and had multiple criminal records.

He has been investigated a total of twelve times since 2015.

He is said to have been imprisoned until six days ago and was last in custody.

Those present stopped the perpetrators 

According to the police, witnesses held the attacker.

Accordingly, the helpers managed to stop the suspect immediately after the crime until the emergency services arrived.

They "probably prevented the perpetrator from committing worse things," said Sütterlin-Waack, and thanked those who were "brave enough" to "oppose the perpetrator."

A press conference with Sütterlin-Waack and a senior police officer is expected this Thursday morning.

The railway set up a hotline for those affected and their relatives on 0800 0007554.