MAGDEBURG, Germany — On Saturday, Germans gathered in mourning for the victims of a tragic incident that shook their sense of security after a Saudi doctor deliberately drove into a crowded Christmas market, resulting in at least five fatalities, including a young child, and injuring over 200 individuals.
Authorities apprehended a 50-year-old man at the scene of the incident in Magdeburg on Friday evening. He has resided in Germany since 2006 and was working as a doctor in Bernburg, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg. State governor Reiner Haseloff shared with reporters that the death toll had risen to five from an earlier count of two, confirming that the total number of injured surpassed 200.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed grave concern, stating that nearly 40 of the injured were in critical condition. Several media sources revealed the suspect’s name as Taleb A., while his last name remained undisclosed for privacy reasons. He is reported to be a psychiatrist and psychotherapist.
On a somber day marked by cold and gloom, mourners lit candles and laid flowers outside a nearby church. Many attendees were visibly shaken, with community members grieving amidst the melodies of a Berlin church choir that had witnessed a previous Christmas market attack in 2016, singing the hymn “Amazing Grace” in honor of the victims.
As investigators sought to comprehend the motivations behind the attack, details emerged. The suspect, who has identified himself as a former Muslim, was known for sharing numerous tweets and retweets that critiqued Islam and acknowledged individuals who left the faith. He openly criticized German officials for inadequately addressing what he described as Europe’s “Islamism.” Some referred to him as an activist who aided Saudi women in escaping their country, and he had also shown support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Haseloff announced that authorities believed the man acted independently.
The violent event sent shockwaves throughout Germany, particularly impacting the city of Magdeburg, which is home to approximately 240,000 residents and serves as the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. Several towns across Germany opted to cancel their own Christmas markets out of solidarity with Magdeburg, while Berlin decided to continue its markets but increased police presence in response to the incident. Germany has faced a series of extremist attacks in recent years, the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack still fresh in the public memory where 13 individuals lost their lives.
Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited Magdeburg on Saturday, with plans for a memorial service scheduled at the city cathedral later that evening. Faeser directed that flags be flown at half-staff at federal buildings nationwide.
A piece of stark reality was captured in footage shared by media outlets, depicting the suspect’s apprehension at a tram stop. The scenes showed police officers attempting to secure the area as the suspect was taken into custody. Witnesses recounted harrowing experiences; for instance, Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a salon worker from Vietnam, described hearing what she initially thought were fireworks, only to witness the horrific scene of a car speeding through the market. She noted the chaos caused by the car and the innocent child it hurled into the air.
Shaken from her experience, Nguyen recounted how she and her husband rushed to assist victims, gathering blankets to cover those injured in the frigid cold. The market remained sealed off with police presence visibly heightened in the area as the investigation continued. Christmas markets, cherished since the Middle Ages and now celebrated worldwide, find themselves in the aftermath of this devastating event.