Stranger Pushes Woman, Son Off Platform Into Train's Path

A man standing among passengers at a train station in Germany on Monday pushed a woman and her 8-year-old son onto the tracks, in the path of a high-speed train. The boy was hit and killed instantly; his mother survived. Witnesses at the main Frankfurt station ran after the attacker, tackled him, and held him until he could be arrested, the Guardian reports. Police said the suspect tried to push another person onto the tracks who was able to fight him off. The boy's mother avoided being hit by the train by rolling into a space between platforms, police said. She was being treated Monday for shock.

Frankfurt police said the suspect is a 40-year-old man from Eritrea. They've found no connection between the man and the victims, and said they don't know of any possible motive. Germany's interior minister called the crime a "horrific act" but cautioned not to jump to conclusions before the investigation is complete, per Reuters. "The background to this heinous crime is still unclear," he said. Germany had a similar killing earlier this month, when a woman was pushed in front of a train in the town of Voerde; police said the suspect in that case didn't know the victim, either. Officials have warned passengers to stay away from the edge of the platform in train stations, and to watch for people who appear to be distressed. (More train tracks stories.)