Germany mourns after attack on Christmas market

People in Germany are mourning after Friday's attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg where five people, including a nine-year-old, were killed. The motive appears to be dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany, according to prosecutors at a press conference.

» Published: December 21 2024

Germany mourns after attack on Christmas market
Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP/TT

Share this article

It was around 7 pm on Friday evening that the car, an SUV, drove straight into the crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg in eastern Germany. For three whole minutes, the perpetrator drove 400 meters before being stopped and arrested on the spot.

He is believed to have entered through an emergency entrance intended for ambulances and rescue services, where there were no obstacles, according to police and prosecutors at a press conference, as reported by several German media outlets.

Four adults and one child were killed. About 200 people were injured, 40 of them seriously. Those affected are being treated at 15 different hospitals, and the death toll may rise.

The man suspected of the attack is expected to be charged with five counts of murder and 200 counts of attempted murder. On Saturday afternoon, he was questioned, and it is believed that he acted alone.

"Islamophobic" views

Work is underway to clarify the motive behind the incident, but it is linked to "dissatisfaction with how Saudi refugees are treated in Germany", according to prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens.

Earlier, Germany's Interior Minister said that the suspect is believed to have "islamophobic" views.

The driver is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, who is said to have lived in Germany for nearly two decades.

On Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the site of the Christmas market. In the evening, he participated in a memorial service at the city's cathedral, along with thousands of Germans who gathered inside and outside the church to mourn.

At the site in Magdeburg, he said that nearly 40 people have such severe injuries that "we must worry about them".

Such a terrible act it is to harm and kill so many people with such brutality, he said.

Markets cancelled

Scholz condemned the attack, which he called a "terrible catastrophe". He promised that Germany would act "with the full force of the law".

The attack has led several other German cities to cancel their Christmas markets over the weekend as a precautionary measure and in solidarity with the victims in Magdeburg. Cities and federal states such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Bavaria are increasing security.

Christmas markets are a German holiday tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages and attracts many international tourists.

Eight years ago, twelve people were killed when a stolen truck drove into a Christmas market in Berlin, in an Islamic terrorist attack.

Corrected: An earlier version of the text contained an uncertain report about the gender of the deceased child, as well as an incorrect description of Bavaria.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Gaza Toddler Shamm Finds New Hope with Treatment in Italy
2 MIN READ

Gaza Toddler Shamm Finds New Hope with Treatment in Italy

Russia Boosts Drone Production to 2,700 Monthly
1 MIN READ

Russia Boosts Drone Production to 2,700 Monthly

Hamas Threat to Israel: Analysts Say Eradication Unlikely
7 MIN READ

Hamas Threat to Israel: Analysts Say Eradication Unlikely

Thousands Gather in Milan to Honor Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani
1 MIN READ

Thousands Gather in Milan to Honor Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani

Zelensky Rejects Putin's Moscow Meeting Invitation
1 MIN READ

Zelensky Rejects Putin's Moscow Meeting Invitation

Israel Urges Gaza Residents to Move to New Humanitarian Zone
1 MIN READ

Israel Urges Gaza Residents to Move to New Humanitarian Zone

Norway Election Poll: Red-Greens Lead as Høyre Faces Historic Low
2 MIN READ

Norway Election Poll: Red-Greens Lead as Høyre Faces Historic Low

Large Shark Attack in Sydney Leaves Surfer Dead
1 MIN READ

Large Shark Attack in Sydney Leaves Surfer Dead

Europe Faces Autumn Crisis Amid Trump Tensions
3 MIN READ

Europe Faces Autumn Crisis Amid Trump Tensions

Trump Proposes Hosting Next G20 Summit at His Miami Golf Club
2 MIN READ

Trump Proposes Hosting Next G20 Summit at His Miami Golf Club

Serbian Police Clash with Protesters in Novi Sad Amid Election Demands
1 MIN READ

Serbian Police Clash with Protesters in Novi Sad Amid Election Demands

Trump Engages in Talks with Hamas for Israeli Hostage Release
1 MIN READ

Trump Engages in Talks with Hamas for Israeli Hostage Release

Trump Renames Defense Department to War Department
1 MIN READ

Trump Renames Defense Department to War Department

Lebanon Military Begins Plan to Disarm Hizbollah
1 MIN READ

Lebanon Military Begins Plan to Disarm Hizbollah

Eagle S Captain Denies Intentional Damage to Baltic Sea Cables
2 MIN READ

Eagle S Captain Denies Intentional Damage to Baltic Sea Cables

Trump Deploys 10 F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico Amid Drug War
2 MIN READ

Trump Deploys 10 F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico Amid Drug War

WHO Declares Mpox No Longer a Global Health Crisis
1 MIN READ

WHO Declares Mpox No Longer a Global Health Crisis

Sweden's Foreign Minister Meets Zelenskyj to Boost Pressure on Russia
1 MIN READ

Sweden's Foreign Minister Meets Zelenskyj to Boost Pressure on Russia

IAGS Faces Backlash Over Gaza Genocide Resolution
4 MIN READ

IAGS Faces Backlash Over Gaza Genocide Resolution

UK Government Reshuffle: Angela Rayner Resigns, David Lammy Becomes Justice Minister
2 MIN READ

UK Government Reshuffle: Angela Rayner Resigns, David Lammy Becomes Justice Minister