Police reportedly fired bullets at a 29-year-old refugee in the Berlin borough of Moabit after an altercation had started between the man and another refugee at the shelter. The suspect had charged at a 27-year-old refugee with a knife, prompting the police to open fire, according to reports on the German DPA news agency.

An anonymous caller told DW that one of the two involved in the attack was of Pakistani origin while the other one spoke Arabic. The information about their identities and backgrounds could not be verified independently.

The police meanwhile said that witnesses had come forward saying that the dead suspect had decided to launch the knife attack after hearing that his daughter had allegedly been abused by the 27-year-old. It remains unclear whether those allegations were true.

However, according to DPA, the police had already put handcuffs on the 27-year-old when the attack occurred.

ss/jm (dpa)