A man accused of driving a car into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany faces charges of murder and attempted murder, police confirmed on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Initial reports said as many as 11 people were killed in Friday night’s rampage, but authorities later confirmed five deaths, including a nine-year-old boy. Police said around 40 of the injured sustained serious or critical wounds.
The suspect, identified as a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany for nearly 20 years, has a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric, but authorities have yet to determine a clear motive for the attack.
The suspect, referred to in German media as Taleb A., remains in pretrial custody. He faces charges of five counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm.
Authorities explained that the suspect gained access to the Christmas market by using emergency exit points, where he accelerated and struck over 200 people in just three minutes. He was apprehended at the scene.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, vowed that the investigation would uncover all relevant details.
"The task is to piece together all findings and paint a picture of this perpetrator, who does not fit any existing mold," Faeser said, according to Reuters. "This perpetrator acted in an unbelievably cruel and brutal manner—like an Islamist terrorist, although he was clearly ideologically hostile to Islam."
The suspect had a history of criticizing both Islam and German authorities. He had appeared in media interviews in recent years, claiming to assist Saudi citizens who had renounced Islam in fleeing to Europe. Social media posts linked to him showed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and US billionaire Elon Musk, who has also expressed backing for the AfD.
Saudi authorities had previously raised concerns with Germany over the suspect’s social media activity, according to both Saudi and German security sources.
Germany has been on high alert for possible Islamist attacks for several years and especially since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 of last year.
The country's domestic intelligence chief warned that the risk of such assaults is "real and higher than it has been for a long time".
In late October of 2023, police in the western German city of Essen arrested a man who plotted to attack a pro-Israel demonstration.
In December of that year, a 15-year-old boy was arrested in western Germany on suspicion of planning a possible attack on a Christmas market.
Weeks later, German police arrested three people over an alleged attack plot targeting the cathedral in Cologne on New Year's Eve.
Earlier this month, German authorities arrested three suspected Islamist extremists accused of planning to attack Christmas markets in Frankfurt or Mannheim.
In December of 2016, Tunisian terrorist Anis Amri killed 12 people and injured dozens more when he drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin.