2018 Cologne attack

This article is about the 2018 hostage-taking that occurred in Cologne central station. For the 1995 hostage crisis in Cologne-Deutz, see Cologne hostage crisis.
2018 Cologne attack
The McDonald's (centre) and pharmacy (far right) at Köln Hbf. one day after the attack
LocationKöln Hauptbahnhof
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Date15 October 2018 (2018-10-15)
c. 12:30 – 14:59 (CEST)
Attack type
Arson, hostage-taking
WeaponsMolotov cocktail, gasoline, pneumatic pistol, cooking stove cartridges
Deaths0
Injured3 (2 by smoke or gasoline inhalation, 1 by burns)
PerpetratorMohammad Abo R.

On 15 October 2018, an arson attack and subsequent hostage-taking occurred at the central railway station of Cologne, Germany. 55-year-old Mohammad Abo R. threw a molotov cocktail inside a fast food restaurant before engaging in a stand-off with police at a nearby pharmacy, where Abo R. threatened to set a hostage employee on fire. While Abo R. put various flammable items on the employee, SEK non-fatally shot the perpetrator in the head.

Abo R., a Syrian refugee, had claimed allegiance to the Islamic State during the attack, but a two-month investigation found no verifiable ties to the organisation. Abo R. was criminally charged for attempted murder, but following years of medical examinations, he was judged to be unfit for trial in December 2024 due to irreparable brain damage sustained during the attack and subsequent coma.

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