A Syrian migrant with a long rap sheet and a history of violent crimes fatally stabbed a 29-year-old German man on a Berlin subway last weekend—despite having an active arrest warrant and multiple past convictions, including a brutal knife attack on his own sister.
The suspect, identified as Shadi S., launched the deadly attack on Saturday aboard a train in Charlottenburg. Police shot him at the scene when he turned on officers during the arrest attempt. He died from his injuries in a hospital on Sunday.
But the tragedy has stirred a firestorm of criticism across Germany, with many asking why the man was ever free in the first place.
It turns out Shadi S. had already been convicted six times. In one chilling 2023 incident, he stabbed his sister over a smartphone dispute, inflicting a deep wound that narrowly missed vital organs. Although he was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and also faced charges for assaulting police and issuing threats in court, he was handed a suspended sentence—no jail time.
He then went on to violate his parole, prompting prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant in Berlin. Even that didn’t lead to his detention.
The list of his infractions only grew. Between 2020 and 2024, he faced 11 separate investigations in Berlin alone. Yet despite repeated violent outbursts and a residence permit with conditions he failed to meet, Shadi S. was allowed to stay in Germany on so-called “humanitarian grounds.”
The case has reignited debate over Germany’s handling of migrant crime and legal leniency. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, didn’t mince words: “The Berlin subway knife murderer is a convicted Syrian violent criminal who was walking free despite an arrest warrant. State failure in migration policy costs lives.”
The victim, Bobby H., leaves behind a grieving wife and child. “He was the most loving and loyal person in the world,” his widow told Bild. “The best husband and father anyone could ever wish for.”
One friend added that Bobby had big dreams and planned to celebrate his birthday with family in Thailand this May. Now, those plans have been replaced with mourning and a growing public demand for accountability.
