A child and adult man were killed and two others wounded in a knife attack in a park in Aschaffenburgin in Bavaria, Germany, on Wednesday morning, according to police and German media reports. 

The 41-year-old man reportedly stepped between the 2-year-old child and the attacker, Welt reported. Neither victim has yet to be named.

The toddler was visiting the park on a nursery trip, according to the Telegraph. 

The suspect was detained at the scene in Schoental park, an English-style garden in the Bavarian city, where the attack occurred at around 1045 GMT.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits the site where a car drove into a crowd of a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany December 21, 2024 (credit: AXEL SCHMIDT/REUTERS)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits the site where a car drove into a crowd of a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany December 21, 2024 (credit: AXEL SCHMIDT/REUTERS)
Police arrested two people in connection with the attack but later clarified one is being held as a witness.

Background of the attack

The motive behind the attack is still unclear, though police noted that the suspect attempted to escape through railways - and local rail traffic has been suspended as a consequence.

Police confirmed the suspected attacker is a 28-year-old Afghan national. Der Spiegel named the attacker as Enamullah O. and reported he was claiming asylum in the country.

Investigators reportedly said the suspect had a history of mental health problems.

Police in Germany have been on high alert since the ramming attack on a Christmas market in December.

REUTERS contributed to this report.