Police say several people have been hurt in a stabbing in the German city of Mannheim

Police say an assailant with a knife has attacked and wounded several people in a square in the southwestern German city of Mannheim

An assailant with a knife attacked and wounded several people in a square in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday, police said. Police shot at the attacker, who also was hurt.

Police said the incident happened shortly after 11.30 a.m. They said that they couldn't immediately give any information on the severity of the injuries, or specify exactly how many people were hurt. The victims included a police officer.

They said in a statement that there was no longer any danger to the public. There was no immediate word on the motive.

The incident happened on the Marktplatz, a square in Mannheim’s downtown area.

The city of about 300,000 people is located south of Frankfurt.