A man ran his car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Germany, killing five people and injuring many others. This terrible attack took place on Friday night in the city of Magdeburg. The driver is a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany for nearly 20 years. He has shared many anti-Islam views in the past, and police said he was already in custody.
The police have charged him with five counts of murder and many counts of attempted murder. The victims included a nine-year-old boy and four women aged 52, 45, 75, and 67. More than 200 people were hit during the three-minute rampage, and around 40 of the injured are in serious or critical condition.
The driver used emergency exits to speed into the Christmas market, causing chaos. After the attack, he was arrested right away. People in the city gathered to mourn and pay respects to those who died.
Police believe the suspect’s motive may be linked to his anger about how Germany deals with Saudi refugees. He has criticized Islam and supported far-right groups and ideas online.
A number of protests took place in Magdeburg following the attack, with around 2,100 people demonstrating. Many of these protesters called for the deportation of immigrants.
Political leaders in Germany are now discussing ways to improve security and coordination to prevent such events from happening again. There were earlier warnings about the suspect’s online activity, which some believe were ignored.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended a memorial service for the victims on Saturday.
Leave a Reply