The night before Easter, St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Munich was crowded and filled with celebrants. Until a man ran into the sanctuary screaming “allahu akbar” and pitched fireworks into the crowd. At least 24 people were injured in the ensuing stampede.
#Breaking: Also Yesterday night in #Germany, at the St.Paul Church in #Munich, attacked with fireworks during Easter service, 24 people injured in a stampede confusion. Witnesses said Attacker yelled “Allahu Akbar” one man arrested. pic.twitter.com/IL6TuHZGb6
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis ❁ (@sotiridi) April 21, 2019
#Update: Pictures of the St.Paul Church in #Munich in #Germany, attacked with fireworks inside during Easter night service, were 24 people got injured in a stampede. And witnesses on the scene said that the attacker yelled “Allahu Akbar” after the fireworks. pic.twitter.com/QG4zPGwBCL
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis ❁ (@sotiridi) April 21, 2019
The people panicked and stampeded out of the cathedral. The man used fireworks to create the chaos, and was arrested by German police. Authorities are saying that the man was “drunk.”
“Looked up some local news media in #Munich in #Germany, and they say it was a confused man with lots amounts of alcohol in his blood system, carrying out this coward attempt to fear people inside the St.Paul church.” Sotiri Dimpinoudis, Freelance Greek Journalist from Belgium
St. Paul’s cathedral is located in the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt quarter of Munich. It was built in the same Gothic style as Notre Dame, only it was built much later, 1892-1906. In WWII, it was heavily damaged by allied air raids, and even as late as 1960, a plane crashed into the 318 foot steeple.
American media did not cover the incident, but it is clear from this that churchgoers in America need to be wary and paying attention. Catholic churches are easy targets, as are smaller ones and even house churches.
