MAGDEBURG, Germany — On Saturday, residents of Germany observed a day of mourning for the victims of a tragic incident that shook their sense of safety. A Saudi physician intentionally drove into a busy Christmas market filled with holiday shoppers, leading to the deaths of at least five individuals, including a small child, and injuring around 200 others.
Law enforcement officials apprehended a 50-year-old suspect at the scene of the incident in Magdeburg on Friday evening. This individual has resided in Germany for nearly 20 years and has been working as a medical professional in Bernburg, which is situated approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg, as reported by local authorities.
Governor Reiner Haseloff of the Saxony-Anhalt region informed the press that the number of fatalities had increased from two to five, while the total injuries exceeded 200. Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed deep concern, highlighting that nearly 40 of the injured individuals were in critical condition.
German media, adhering to privacy regulations, have identified the suspect as Taleb A. He is reported to be a trained specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
On a somber and cold day, community members gathered to honor the victims, lighting candles and leaving flowers outside a nearby church. Mourners were visibly emotional, while a Berlin church choir, whose members had previously experienced a Christmas market attack in 2016, sang “Amazing Grace,” a hymn that speaks of divine mercy, as a gesture of solidarity with those affected.
Questions surrounding the motives for the attack remain unanswered as the investigation continues. The suspect, who describes himself as a former Muslim, was active on social media, often sharing critical views on Islam and expressing support for former Muslims. He also condemned the German government for not doing enough to address Islamism and has been linked to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. His recent commentary suggested a belief that German authorities were unjustly targeting Saudi asylum seekers.
Renowned terrorism expert Peter Neumann expressed his astonishment at the suspect’s profile, noting how a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim with far-right affiliations had not appeared on the radar as a potential perpetrator of mass violence, stating, “After 25 years in this ‘business,’ you’d think nothing could surprise you anymore.” He reassured the public that the suspect appears to be acting alone, minimizing further threats to the city.
The violent act has left the German public and the city of Magdeburg shell-shocked, prompting emotional responses from local leaders. The incident, which disrupted a festive event rooted in longstanding German traditions, led several other towns to cancel their holiday markets in a display of solidarity with Magdeburg. Meanwhile, Berlin opted to keep its markets open, albeit with heightened police presence.
In recent years, Germany has faced a series of extremist attacks, including a knife assault in Solingen that resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries in August. Magdeburg, a city with a population of about 240,000, is situated west of Berlin. This recent attack came eight years after a similar incident in Berlin, where an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market, causing multiple deaths and injuries.
Following the incident, Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited Magdeburg, with a memorial service planned in the city’s cathedral later that evening. Faeser ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at federal buildings nationwide in remembrance of the victims.
Footage provided by eyewitnesses depicted the shocking moments surrounding the suspect’s arrest at a tram stop. A police officer was seen with a drawn weapon, while other officers quickly moved to detain the individual.
Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a 34-year-old Vietnamese manicurist whose salon faces the Christmas market, described her experience during the chaos. Initially thinking the commotion was due to fireworks, she soon recognized the gravity of the situation when she witnessed a car speeding through the market. She recounted the harrowing sight of people crying out as a child was thrown into the air by the vehicle.
Emotionally shaken, she detailed how she and her husband spent hours assisting the injured, with her husband running back home to gather blankets to keep the victims warm in the frigid temperatures.
The Christmas market remains cordoned off, with police securing the area and remnants of the tragic event still visible. Traditional Christmas markets have been part of German culture since the Middle Ages and are now popular across the Western world.
In response to the attack, the foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia issued a condemnation on social media.
