A foreign illegal immigrant with previous criminal convictions was able to remain in Germany because authorities could not establish his identity before he killed a 14-year-old boy in the Bavarian city of Memmingen.

The 37-year-old man, who was suspected of murdering Jermaine B., had been a rejected asylum seeker but had been granted temporary leave to remain in Germany because his nationality was unclear. Philipp Höß, a spokesperson for the government of Swabia, confirmed the man’s residence status to Bild.

Prosecutors said the suspect was born in Abu Qash, a town in the West Bank, but his nationality had not been established and he claimed not to have a passport.

The man was already known to German authorities. According to prosecutors, he had been convicted twice and fined, once for property damage in 2021 and again this year for illegal residence without a passport.

Jermaine had been missing since Saturday evening, prompting a major police search for the teenager. Officers discovered his body on Monday morning in an abandoned building near the train station in Memmingen.

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German media reported that the boy died as a result of violence inflicted on his neck. No further details surrounding the nature of the killing have been forthcoming.

Several posts on social media purport to show the now-deceased attacker’s social media content, in which he promoted “Free Palestine” content, including “Allahu Akbar” chants and the Tawhid gesture, a finger pointing to the sky that has regularly been adopted by Islamic extremists.

🔴 Allemagne 🇩🇪 | Un adolescent de 14 ans retrouvé mort… le suspect était un demandeur d’asile palestinien débouté

Jermaine B., 14 ans, avait disparu le 2 mai à Memmingen, en Bavière.

Son corps a été retrouvé dans un bâtiment abandonné près de la gare dans la nuit du 3 au 4… pic.twitter.com/0rC2RR8JBK

— Raph Israël (@raphlesioniste2) May 6, 2026

According to T-Online, during a further search of the building, officers found the suspect hiding in a cupboard. According to prosecutors, he attacked police with a knife before initially fleeing the scene.

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Investigators later received a tip and located the 37-year-old outside an indoor swimming pool in Memmingen on Monday evening. Five plainclothes officers approached him, but the suspect reportedly tried to flee again before suddenly turning around and lunging toward the officers with a knife. The officers opened fire and hit him several times. The man was treated at the scene but later died in the hospital.

The officers are now under investigation to ascertain whether or not the use of firearms was lawful.

Memmingen’s Social Democrat (SPD) mayor, Jan Rothenbacher, said, “It’s unbelievable what has happened in the past few days. My thoughts are with the young man’s family, and I wish them strength during this difficult time. We are in contact with the family.”