18-year-old from Kosovo suspected of stabbing teacher – new details emerge from Essen school attack
Express newspaper
05/09/2025 12:39
Following the shocking incident that occurred this morning at a vocational school in the city of Essen, where a teacher was stabbed by a student, German authorities have provided new information regarding the incident.
According to sources in the BILD newspaper, the attacker – an 18-year-old originally from Kosovo – was shot by police a few kilometers from the scene after he tried to attack the special rapid intervention forces (SEK). The young man is in serious condition and has been intubated by emergency teams.
The teacher, who was seriously injured in the stomach, was immediately taken to the university hospital, where, according to the latest information, her life is out of danger. She was attacked inside the school premises, in the area known as Bildungspark in Essen’s Nordviertel.
After the attack, panic erupted inside the school. Several dozen students barricaded themselves in their classrooms, following the alarm protocols for an armed attack. Meanwhile, dozens of others were treated by medical teams for shock after directly witnessing the attack or helping to provide first aid to the victim.
At around 11:00, police identified the suspect in a park near the city’s central station. When special forces officers tried to stop him, he ran towards them with a knife in his hand, forcing officers to shoot to neutralize him. The attacker was seriously injured and was given first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital.
The mayor of Essen, Thomas Kufen (CDU), has arrived at the scene to monitor the situation closely. The police have cordoned off the area around the school and asked citizens to temporarily avoid it. A police helicopter monitored the area from the air throughout the operation.
The investigation is ongoing and authorities have not yet released details about the motive for the attack. It is also not known whether the student was part of a class or entered the classroom with the direct intent of carrying out the attack.