2 U.S. servicemen arrested in fatal stabbing at German carnival
MAINZ, Germany — Two U.S. service members have been arrested in western Germany in connection with the death of a man at a carnival, local police and the U.S. Air Force said Sunday.
A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death in an incident that followed an “argument” at the Säubrenner fair in the small town of Wittlich on Saturday night, police in the nearby city of Trier said in a statement.
Two male suspects have been arrested and identified as U.S. military personnel who visited the park with friends, the statement said.
Police said they initially identified a group of four people witnesses saw at the scene but zeroed in on two suspects identified only as U.S. servicemen ages 25 and 26. Their names and ranks have not been released by German police or the U.S. Air Force in Europe.
The victim has also not been publicly identified.
A police spokesman in Trier confirmed Monday that the victim is a German national. The two U.S. service members are stationed at the Air Force’s Spangdahlem Air Base, which is close to the town, the spokesperson said.
The suspects have been handed over to the U.S. authorities, who will take over the investigation “in accordance with the NATO troop statute,” police said.
The Air Force confirmed that the men were questioned and then transferred to U.S. custody.
“This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community,” Col. Kevin Crofton, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at the base, said in the statement. “We thank the local Polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course," he added.
Both service members will remain in U.S. custody during the investigation, the statement said.
The mayor of the western German town, Joachim Rodenkirch, was quoted in a release from the city of Wittlich on Saturday as saying: “I am shocked and terribly sad that a young man died in such a brutal way at the Säubrenner fair, where many people come together to celebrate peacefully."
He said the incident at the annual fair, which he called "an important part of the city's identity," had "changed the city overnight."
On Sunday, in a second news release, the mayor thanked police for the quick identification and arrest of the suspects.
The U.S. has long stationed military personnel in Germany, a close economic and military ally.
On its website, the Spangdahlem air base says it "provides Airpower options to deter and combat aggression" in NATO territory.
Andy Eckardt reported from Mainz and Yuliya Talmazan from London.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
