What happened

On Friday, 16 October 2026, around 19:00, a knife attack took place in the cafeteria of the St. Vitus-Stift care home in Olfen, a town in the Münsterland area of North Rhine-Westphalia, according to 20 Minuten, which cited several media outlets. Bild, as quoted by other outlets, named a knife as the weapon. An 86-year-old female resident died in the attack. Two other female residents, aged 81 and 83, were seriously injured, and one of them is in life-threatening danger, a police spokeswoman in Münster said. Police set up a homicide unit to investigate the case.

The suspect

A 72-year-old man who also lived in the home is suspected of carrying out the attack. Early reports from Friday night said police could not yet say whether he had been arrested. Later reports said he was taken into custody without resistance, and Telegraaf reported he let himself be arrested in his room after the stabbing. Police said no danger remains from the suspect.

“There is no longer any danger from the perpetrator.”

No motive has been established, and the reasons for the attack on fellow residents remain unknown.

The care home

St. Vitus-Stift is a senior residence run by the town of Olfen. According to the operator, it houses 77 residents who need care, and it also has 36 barrier-free assisted-living apartments and dementia care groups. Spiegel Online reported that rescue helicopters landed in front of the facility on Friday evening and that police deployed a large force. Police said all the victims were women and the attacker is a man. The homicide unit's investigation is ongoing.