Syrian Teen Hailed as Hero After Stopping Knife Attack in Hamburg Train Station
19-year-old refugee Mohamed Al-Mohamed confronts armed assailant and prevents further injuries during mass stabbing incident in Germany.
Watan-On Friday night, Hamburg’s main train station was shaken by a horrifying knife attack that injured 18 people. Amid the panic and chaos, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee, Mohamed Al-Mohamed, emerged as a hero after bravely confronting the attacker and helping prevent further casualties.
According to Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, Mohamed, originally from the southern outskirts of Aleppo, was standing on the train platform after visiting a friend in Hamburg. On his way home to Buchholz, 25 km south of the city, Mohamed was listening to music when he noticed sudden commotion. He turned and saw a woman attacking people with a knife, causing mass panic.
“Everyone was running away, but I decided to run toward her—to stop her,” Mohamed said, recalling his decision to intervene instead of fleeing.
A Heroic Intervention
As he approached the attacker, identified later as Lydia S., a 39-year-old woman, another man of Chechen origin had already intervened, kicking her in the knee and causing her to fall. Mohamed seized the moment, pinning her to the ground and pressing her hands against her backpack to keep her restrained. The knife had fallen onto the tracks, rendering her unable to continue the attack.
Though he does not speak fluent German, Mohamed sternly warned the attacker in simple words:
“If you get up, I’ll hit you!”
He described the woman as passive and unresisting, almost surrendered.
Er hat die Amokläuferin am Hamburger Hauptbahnhof gestoppt. Ein junger Mann aus Syrien. Danke, Merkel! pic.twitter.com/XfNmDsqApc
— Sebastian Eberle (@EberleSebastian) May 24, 2025
Police Response and Recognition
Roughly two minutes later, police arrived. Mohamed immediately raised his hands to avoid being mistaken as a threat. German federal and local police, along with railway security, took the attacker into custody.
Mohamed was questioned onboard a stationary train and then taken to a police station for an official statement.
“They thanked me and gave me a cappuccino,” he said proudly. “That really made me happy.”
Background of the Attacker
Initial investigations revealed that Lydia S. had been released from a psychiatric facility just one day before the attack. A judge has since ordered her return to psychiatric care. Fortunately, all 18 victims are now reported to be in stable condition.
Mohamed, who arrived in Germany as a refugee in September 2022, has become a symbol of bravery and the positive impact migrants can have in their host societies. Despite language barriers and life challenges, he demonstrated remarkable courage and moral clarity.
The incident has deeply shocked Hamburg, one of Germany’s largest and most vital transport hubs—but has also offered a rare moment of unity around a young refugee whose heroism saved lives.
