Magdeburg massacre, the attacker is a psychiatrist: what we know

A 50-year-old psychiatrist, who has been in Germany since 2006, rushed at mad speed onto the Magdeburg Christmas market. While Germany is in shock, people are trying to understand the causes of the extremism of Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, defined by the German police as “a lone wolf”

ROME – Germany is in shock following last night's attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, where a man driving a dark BMW sped into the crowd and killed two people, including a child. There are almost 70 injured. Today German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser will arrive in Magdeburg.

READ ALSO: VIDEO| Attack in Germany, cars against crowds at the Magdeburg Christmas market

A “LONE WOLF”

The attacker is Taleb Hussein Al Abdulmohsena doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 with a permanent residence permit from Saudi Arabia. In 2016 he would have been granted refugee status. According to the German media, the man is a specialist in psychiatrist and psychotherapy: he lived in Bernburg and was not known as an Islamist. According to what the police reported, the man acted alone, as “lone wolf“. The car used for the attack would have been rented shortly before. The man apparently traveled 400 meters at breakneck speed, proceeding zigzag through the middle of the market towards the town hall. In a video, then, the car is seen slowing down and the attacker gets out and kneels.

THE VIDEOS BEFORE THE MASSACRE

From what is being reconstructed in these hours, Taleb Al Abdulmohsen was anti-Islam. He felt persecuted and blamed the Germans for failing to protect critics of Islam like him. The man said this in some videos published on X a few hours before the attack. He also talked about his past as an asylum seeker and how he worked for an NGO for asylum seekers. The man claimed that German authorities had opened his mail and stolen items, including a USB stick. “I consider the Germans, as citizens, responsible for the persecution I am suffering.” On his social networks you can find tweets in support of the German anti-immigration party AfD, but also comments in support of Elon Musk, Tommy Robinson and the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

“GERMANY WANTS TO ISLAMIZE EUROPE”

On your X account bio (where as the cover photo there is a machine gun) reads: “Saudi military opposition. Germany pursues Saudi asylum seekers, in and out of the country, to destroy their lives. Germany wants to Islamize Europe“. Profile X (which has a link to the wearesaudis.net site) seems quite delusional. But how come no one noticed? The doctor was integrated and led an apparently normal life. Why did he become radicalized? How long? Had none of your acquaintances noticed these rather disturbing contents?

(photo from X)