MANNHEIM, Germany — The individual implicated in the fatal car-ramming incident in Mannheim, Germany, appeared in court on Tuesday but offered no insight into his reasons for the attack. The suspect, a 40-year-old German national, has been detained as authorities consider filing formal charges.
The tragic event unfolded Monday around midday, when the suspect drove into a bustling pedestrian street in downtown Mannheim, leaving two people dead and injuring eleven others, with five of the injured in serious condition. The scene in the city center was marked by mourners placing flowers to commemorate the lives lost.
The Mannheim prosecutors, in conjunction with state police, reported that the court has ordered the suspect be kept in custody as they consider charging him with two counts of murder, five of attempted murder, and 11 instances of bodily harm.
In court, the suspect did not disclose any reasons for his actions, leaving his motive unclear. A search of the man’s residence in nearby Ludwigshafen did not unveil any clues either, according to the investigators. They noted that mental illness could be a factor in the suspect’s actions, and it is believed that he acted alone. Items found in his car and home, including a blank firearm and written documents, are under examination.
Prior to his arrest, the suspect attempted suicide by shooting himself in the mouth. He received initial medical care at a hospital before being transferred to police custody.
Officials explained that, as of Monday, there was no evidence pointing to extremist or religious motivations behind the attack. It was revealed that the suspect has a criminal past, which includes a short prison term over a decade ago for assault and a conviction for drunken driving. Furthermore, he received a fine in 2018 following an investigation into an instance of hate speech on Facebook.
Germany has seen cars used as weapons in violent attacks in recent months. For example, last month, a two-year-old child and her mother succumbed to injuries sustained during a car-ramming incident at a union demonstration in Munich. This case resulted in the arrest of a 24-year-old Afghan, believed to have been motivated by Islamic extremism.
In a separate incident in December, six fatalities and over 200 injuries occurred when a vehicle plowed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg. The suspect in this case, a 50-year-old physician originally from Saudi Arabia, had reportedly held anti-Muslim views and supported the far-right AfD party.
