The Görlitz police department was on site with over 80 officers from the Bautzen and Kamenz districts, as well as the emergency platoon, the criminal police inspectorate and the service dog squadron. Police received the call around 9:45 a.m. A special task force arrived. The school building was cleared. The students were taken to safety. According to the information, a crisis intervention team looked after 53 schoolchildren, two young people, three teachers and 53 parents. In the morning, the police gave the all-clear that the situation was under control.
School classroom completed
The school itself is prepared for such situations, said police spokesman Maximilian Funke. In such a case, one speaks of “life-threatening situations”. In this case, the classrooms would be locked.
During a search of the school building, the emergency services discovered, among other things, several bags, knives, bottles and lighters. The police arrested her for forensic examination. It is not known how they are related to the crime.
Dismay among parents and students
Shortly after the crime, many parents who were worried about their children gathered in front of the combined elementary and high school, shielded from the police. “I just wanted to get my little one,” says a mother holding her boy’s hand. “We know a lot, I want to make sure everyone is safe.” When she arrived she found “everything full of firefighters, all full of police”. Many parents informed each other, reports the mother of a seventh grader. Some children were “totally dissolved”.
Ministry of Education promises support
Saxony’s Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU) was concerned after the knife attack. “Our thoughts are with the injured child and the school community,” said Piwarz. Employees of the cultural administration were on site in the morning immediately after the crime. “We will support students and educators wherever needed.”
There will be no regular school operations at the elementary and high school on Thursday. However, care is offered for children who cannot stay at home, said a ministry spokesman.
No regular school operations after knife attack
“Bewildered is a word that is not enough to describe my feelings about the situation in Bischofswerda,” said District Administrator Udo Witschas (CDU), who got an idea on the spot. He prays for the mugged boy that he survives this brutal act. “My thoughts are also with his relatives as well as the students and teachers of the school. My thanks also go to all the emergency services for their professional work,” said Witschas.
Bischofswerda’s Mayor Holm Große (independent) also reacted with disbelief to the bloody deed: “I’m just shocked and deeply affected. It’s going through and through,” said the mayor. Above all, he wishes the victim to pull through. At the same time, he hopes that everyone involved – students, teachers and caretakers – will be able to process what has happened.
