A car plowed into a bustling Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday evening, resulting in the tragic deaths of two individuals and injuring over 60 others. The attack, which occurred around 7 p.m., was described by authorities as deliberate.
The victims include an adult and a toddler, according to Reiner Haseloff, the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt state. "Every human life that has fallen victim to this attack is a terrible tragedy and one human life too many," Haseloff stated during a press conference.
The suspect, identified as a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has been residing in Germany since 2006, was apprehended at the scene.
Tamara Zieschang, the interior minister for Saxony-Anhalt, confirmed that the suspect acted alone and posed no further threat to the public. "As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator," she said.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as the vehicle barreled through the festive market, scattering debris and leaving a trail of devastation. Lars Frohmüller, a reporter for German public broadcaster MDR, recounted, "We saw blood on the floor, we saw people sitting beside each other ... and we saw many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries."
The incident has cast a shadow over the holiday season, prompting several German towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution. Magdeburg Mayor Simone Borris, visibly emotional, announced plans for a memorial service at the city's cathedral.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his condolences, stating that the attack interrupted the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas. Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed these sentiments on social media, saying, "My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg."
The attack comes eight years after a similar incident in Berlin, where an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market, killing 13 people. This latest tragedy has reignited concerns about security at such events, despite previous assurances from German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser that there were no concrete threats to Christmas markets this year.
As investigations continue, the international community, including NATO’s secretary-general and the European Commission’s president, has extended its support and condolences to Germany. U.S. Vice President-elect JD Vance remarked, "Our prayers go to the people affected by this terrible attack on a Christmas market in Germany. What a ghastly attack so close to Christmas."
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