OCHSENFURT, Germany (AP) – By all accounts, the 17-year-old Afghan behind an ax-and-knife rampage aboard a commuter train in Germany seemed to be quickly integrating and adapting to life in Germany – until something, possibly the death of a friend back home, prompted him to radicalize and turn on the country that took him in.
Five people were wounded in the attack late Monday near Wuerzburg, including four members of a Hong Kong family who were on the train and a woman walking her dog outside. Two remained in critical condition Wednesday, and Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said it wasn’t clear if they will survive.
The attacker, whose name hasn’t been released by authorities, was killed by police.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack and posted a video in which the teen waved a knife and referred to himself as a “soldier of the Islamic State.” During the attack, witnesses said he yelled “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for “God is great.”
The teen was one of about 60,000 unaccompanied minors who came into Germany last year amid a flood of 1 million migrants. Authorities say such young people are particularly traumatized and in need of help, but also vulnerable to radicalization by Islamic extremists.