At least two people, including a child, were killed and several others injured when a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday evening.
The suspect, identified as a Saudi Arabian doctor working in the region, was taken into custody. Authorities believe the attacker acted alone. Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt state, described the incident as a deliberate attack.
“There are many injured,” Haseloff said, adding, “So far, we’re mourning two fatalities—an adult and a small child. The death toll could rise as several victims are seriously injured.”
Footage aired by public broadcaster ARD showed police officers pointing guns at the suspect, ordering him to lie on the ground before detaining him. The Christmas market has since been closed, and police are investigating the motive behind the attack.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, stating on social media platform X, “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives.”
This attack has heightened concerns about public safety ahead of Germany’s federal elections in February. Scholz’s government has faced mounting criticism for its handling of security and migration policies, following several violent incidents this year, including a fatal stabbing in Solingen.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, where a Tunisian-born attacker with links to Islamic terrorist groups killed 13 people. That event ignited a heated political debate on immigration and public safety during Angela Merkel’s tenure as chancellor.
Calls for stricter immigration rules have intensified as political pressure mounts, with far-right and far-left parties, including the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), gaining traction in recent polls.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden also reacted to the tragedy, stating on X that he was “deeply shocked” by the attack.
