New details have emerged on the man suspected of intentionally driving a vehicle into a crowded Christmas market in Madgeburg, Germany on Friday evening, killing at least two people and wounding dozens more.
The suspected driver is a 50-year-old doctor born in Saudi Arabia, according the interior minister for Saxony-Anhalt, Tamara Zieschang, Al Jazeera reported. He was arrested at the scene, according to German newspaper, Welt.
Prior to the incident, the suspect rented the vehicle used to carry out the attack, NEXTA reported. Police discovered luggage in the passenger seat of the car, prompting an examination by a bomb disposal team.
Up to 80 people are believed to have been injured in the attack, according to AFP. Official casualty figures are yet to be released, but unconfirmed reports from Bild suggest as many as 11 fatalities.
The incident occurred at the Old Market Square, where Magdeburg's Christmas market was in full swing. Despite the barriers installed to protect the area, the driver was able to circumvent them and plow into the crowd. Surveillance footage verified by The New York Times shows the vehicle hitting marketgoers before turning onto another crowded street.
🇩🇪🚨11 PEOPLE DEAD AND OVER 60 INJURED IN MAGDEBURG, GERMANY
— AN-94 Reports (@an94reports) December 20, 2024
Updated info had arrive regarding this awful incident.
Source: T-Online https://t.co/RTCmxGTKmX pic.twitter.com/9QmgHaUKhe
The attack has drawn parallels to the 2016 Berlin Christmas market tragedy, where an extremist used a truck to kill 13 people.
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