According to authorities, a car crashed into a packed Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, killing at least two people, including a little kid, and injuring over 60 more.
The accused driver, a Saudi Arabian physician who resided in Germany, was taken into custody, according to Saxony-Anhalt Premier Reiner Haseloff.
He claimed that there was no continuous threat to the public and that the suspect acted alone. Given the severity of some of the injuries, Haseloff does not rule out more deaths.
One adult and one child are among the victims, according to Haseloff.
For live coverage, follow along.
According to Saxony-Anhalt’s interior minister Tamara Zieschang, the 50-year-old suspect first arrived in Germany in 2006. According to Zieschang, he last practiced medicine at Bernburg, which is roughly 30 miles south of Magdeburg.
She described the event as one of the worst days for Magdeburg and Saxony-Anhalt.
A vehicle speeds through a crowd of shoppers, striking several while others rush for their lives, according to a brief video of the incident that was put on X and geolocated to Magdeburg. After racing straight ahead, the car turns right out of sight.
According to Haseloff, the individual was operating a rental car.
A hotline was made available by the police for those impacted to call their family members. Due to “extensive police operations” in the area, they declared on X that the Magdeburg Christmas market was closed.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, forewarned of a challenging future.
Scholz wrote, “My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” in a message across X. “We support the Magdeburg community and stand by them. I want to express my gratitude to the hardworking rescuers during these stressful times.
Scholz is anticipated to visit the Magdeburg crime scene on Saturday, according to Haseloff.
In a post on X, Germany’s vice chancellor Robert Habeck bemoaned the event and called it “dreadful news.”
In addition to offering German officials sympathy and sympathies to the victims, their families, and the German people, the White House is keeping a careful eye on the events in Magdeburg, according to a White House official.
Nearly eight years ago, in 2016, a vehicle crashed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing at least 12 people and wounding scores more.
As a precaution and in reaction to the event in Germany, police in New York City have stepped up security at holiday markets, a senior NYPD official told NBC News on Friday.
More resources will be dispatched to various festive markets and prominent sites throughout the city. According to the official, there has been no specific local threat, although threats have been made to some markets outside.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!