Dead and injured in suspected attack in Magdeburg – News

About the crime and possible background:
The motives of the arrested suspect for the alleged attack are still unclear. “We don’t yet know the background to the crime, we are taking everything into account,” said a police spokeswoman when asked. An adult and a small child were killed in the incident. According to the police, there were over 60 injured, including several seriously injured. The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), said that further deaths could not be ruled out. “This is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg and for the country and also for Germany in general,” said the Prime Minister.

What is known about the perpetrator so far:
According to the police, the investigating authorities are currently assuming that the attacker was a lone perpetrator. The 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia was found at the scene by emergency services and arrested. The suspect is a doctor who lives and works in Bernburg, said Prime Minister Haseloff. According to current information, he is not known to the authorities as an Islamist. According to Haseloff, the perpetrator drove a rental car into the crowd at the Christmas market. The Foreign Ministry in Saudi Arabia condemned the act.

Reactions from politics:
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she would come to Magdeburg on Saturday together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz “to express our deep sympathy and thank the emergency services.” Haseloff said on Friday evening: “The Chancellor will assess the situation with us and will certainly not only mourn with us, but also discuss the measures that are necessary.” The Federal Minister of the Interior recently repeatedly called for vigilance when visiting Christmas markets. There are currently no concrete indications of danger, said the SPD politician at the end of November. Chancellor Scholz wrote on Platform X: “My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by your side and by the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also wrote on X that he was deeply shocked. France shares the grief of the German people. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the act as “brutal and cowardly”. And Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd wrote on X that her thoughts were with the victims and their relatives. Switzerland is on Germany's side.

Memorial ceremony for the victims:
A memorial service for the victims is planned in Magdeburg Cathedral on Saturday evening. We want to give those affected, relatives and all other citizens an opportunity to mourn, said Mayor Simone Borris in tears to journalists on Friday evening. “We will need a long time to mourn,” she said, visibly stunned.

Around eight years after the Berlin Christmas market attack:
Almost exactly eight years ago to the day, on December 19, 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove a hijacked truck into the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. 12 people were killed, the 13th victim died as a result in 2021. More than 70 people were injured. The assassin fled to Italy, where he was shot dead by the police. The police are now also being particularly careful in other cities with Christmas markets. In Stuttgart, a police spokesman said that police forces had been sensitized on site. In Berlin, a spokesman said officials had been asked to pay more attention to Christmas markets.