Attack on Christmas Market in Magdeburg: This is the Death Racer

Following the alleged attack on a Christmas market on Friday evening in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, the number of victims has risen. At least five people were killed, and around 200 injured. The deadly drive was apparently carried out by a critic of Islam. The 50-year-old doctor identifies himself as an "Ex-Muslim", according to information from the German Press Agency. He recently made some incoherently formulated accusations against German authorities on social media and in interviews.

Man Suspected of Driving into Crowd at Christmas Market

According to investigators, among the dead is a nine-year-old child, the other four fatalities are adults. The man, originally from Saudi Arabia, is suspected of driving a rental car into a crowd at the Christmas market on Friday evening. According to a report by "Bild", the driver may have been under the influence of drugs. An initial drug swipe test was positive, the paper reports without citing sources.

According to police, the deadly attack was carried out by a lone perpetrator. Current investigations suggest a second perpetrator can be ruled out, a police spokesperson said on Saturday. The alleged attacker is believed to have reached the central square via the escape and rescue route during the attack on the Christmas market. The drive lasted about three minutes until the arrest, said Tom-Oliver Langhans, Director of the Magdeburg Police Inspection.

The public prosecutor's office gave initial indications of a possible motive. "Dissatisfaction with the handling of Saudi Arabian refugees" could have been the trigger for the act, said the responsible senior public prosecutor Horst Nopens on Saturday. The Magdeburg public prosecutor's office is currently investigating the alleged perpetrator for five counts of murder. The charge beyond that is attempted murder in 200 cases in conjunction with dangerous bodily harm.

Born in Saudi Arabia

According to "Spiegel" information, he was born in the Saudi Arabian city of Hofuf and came to Germany for training in March 2006. In July 2016, he was recognised as a refugee, as reported by Spiegel, citing a previous interview in the "Frankfurter Rundschau".

According to the magazine's research, he may have drifted off course. On his account with the online service X, he dreamed of a joint project with the AfD, which is far-right in many respects - an academy for ex-Muslims.

In social media and interviews, the suspect recently made some confused accusations against German authorities. He accused them of not doing enough against Islamism. After he went public years ago with his support for Saudi Arabian women fleeing their homeland, he later wrote on his website in English and Arabic: "My advice: Do not seek asylum in Germany." The German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser confirmed that the man had an Islamophobic attitude.

The city administration did not foresee the deadly drive. "We are dealing with a case that no organizer could have anticipated," said the Magdeburg regulatory councilor Ronni Krug. The security concept for the market had been adjusted repeatedly and tightened most recently in November of this year.

"We Mourn Five Lives Lost"

"We mourn five lives lost and over 200 injured, many of them severely and critically," said Haseloff on Saturday after visiting the crime scene with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz said that nearly 40 people were so severely injured, "that we must be very concerned for them."

Scholz also announced tough consequences. But first, we need to understand exactly what happened and what motives the alleged perpetrator had. "Then we will respond with the necessary consequence," said the German Chancellor. It is important that the country now sticks together and does not let hate determine the coexistence of people in Germany. We will not let those who sow hate get away with it, but will proceed against them with all the severity of the law, says Scholz.

Germany Warned

Saudi Arabia reportedly warned Germany about the alleged perpetrator of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. The kingdom had requested his extradition, but Germany did not respond, it was said. The man is said to have come from the city of Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia. He was a Shiite.

Nur etwa zehn Prozent der Bevölkerung in dem mehrheitlich sunnitischen Land sind schiitisch. Es gibt immer wieder Berichte über Diskriminierungen gegenüber Schiiten im Land. Nach Informationen der Deutschen Presse-Agentur in Berlin hatte es vor rund einem Jahr eine Art Warnhinweis zu dem Mann an die deutschen Behörden gegeben.

NATO-Generalsekretär Mark Rutte drückte - wie er berichtete - dem deutschen Kanzler sein Mitgefühl aus. Auch Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen verurteilte die Attacke. Die Vereinten Nationen zeigten sich ebenso bestürzt und sprachen den Familien der Opfer, der Regierung und den Menschen in Deutschland Beileid aus. Der israelische Außenminister Gideon Saar zeigte sich schockiert bot Hilfe an.

"Nachrichten aus Magdeburg sind erschütternd und machen uns fassungslos"

Mehrere ausländische Regierungen verurteilten die tödliche Attacke. Österreichs Politik zeigte sich schockiert. "Die Nachrichten aus Magdeburg sind erschütternd und machen uns fassungslos. Unsere Gedanken sind in diesen schwersten Stunden bei den Opfern, ihren Familien und den Rettungskräften", schrieb Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) auf X.

Fast auf den Tag genau vor acht Jahren, am 19. Dezember 2016, war in Berlin ein islamistischer Terrorist mit einem entführten Lastwagen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt am Breitscheidplatz gerast. Dabei wurden zwölf Menschen getötet, das 13. Opfer starb 2021 an den Folgen. Mehr als 70 Menschen wurden verletzt. Der Attentäter floh nach Italien, wo er von der Polizei erschossen wurde.

Auch in anderen Städten mit Weihnachtsmärkten ist die Polizei nun besonders achtsam. In Stuttgart sagte ein Polizeisprecher, die Polizeikräfte seien vor Ort sensibilisiert worden. In Berlin sagte ein Sprecher, man habe die Beamten aufgerufen, ein erhöhtes Augenmerk auf Weihnachtsmärkte zu richten.

In Österreich werden ebenfalls Sicherheitsvorkehrungen bei Weihnachtsmärkten verschärft. So teilte die Stadt Linz am Samstag in einer Aussendung mit, die Besucher der Standl am Hauptplatz, am Volksgarten sowie des Marktes vor dem Neuen Dom durch "technische Sicherungsmaßnahmen" zu schützen. Von der Wiener Polizei hieß es, die umfangreichen Sicherheitsmaßnahmen würden "auf hohem Niveau intensiviert". Ähnlich äußerte sich das Innenministerium.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.