The death toll in a car-ramming attack by a Saudi physician at a Christmas market in Germany’s Magdeburg has risen to five people, and more than 200 have been seriously injured, as per Saxony-Anhalt’s Governor Reiner Haseloff.
The law enforcement arrested the 50-year-old man at the incident location on Friday evening. The suspect has resided in Germany for approximately 20 years, working as a doctor in Bernburg, situated about 40 kilometres from Magdeburg.
“As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, so that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city. Every human life that has fallen victim to this attack is a terrible tragedy and one human life too many,” said Haseloff.
Various German news sources identified the suspect as Taleb A, maintaining privacy law compliance by omitting his surname, and reported his specialisation in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
People placed candles and flowers near a church by the market. A Berlin church choir, who had witnessed a previous Christmas market attack in 2016, performed “Amazing Grace”, offering support to the victims.
Meanwhile, the perpetrator’s motives remained unclear. The suspect, who identified as an ex-Muslim, frequently shared anti-Islamic content on social media, critiquing the religion and praising those who abandoned it.
He criticised German authorities for insufficient action against what he termed “Islamism of Europe”. Some identified him as an advocate helping Saudi women escape their country. He had also expressed backing for the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In recent times, his attention appeared concentrated on his belief regarding German authorities’ alleged targeting of Saudi asylum seekers.
The attack disrupted a traditional German celebration, leading several towns to suspend their weekend Christmas markets in solidarity and as a precautionary measure.
Germany has experienced multiple extremist incidents recently, including a violent knife assault that resulted in three fatalities and eight injuries at a festival in Solingen in August.
Magdeburg, a city of approximately 240,000 residents situated west of Berlin, serves as Saxony-Anhalt’s capital. This incident occurred eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a vehicle into a busy Christmas market in Berlin, causing 13 deaths and numerous injuries. The perpetrator was subsequently killed in Italy during a police confrontation.
On Saturday, Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited Magdeburg, with a memorial service scheduled at the city cathedral that evening. Faeser directed federal buildings nationwide to lower their flags to half-staff.