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Deadly attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg: five dead!
Five people, including a child, died in a targeted car attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg. The driver was arrested.
Deadly attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg: five dead!
In a shocking turn of events, the contemplative magic of Magdeburg's Christmas market has been brutally destroyed! A car plowed into the crowd on Friday evening, leaving a trail of destruction behind. At least five people, including a nine-year-old child, lost their lives while over 200 others were injured. The city in the heart of Saxony-Anhalt is in shock!
Police immediately arrested the driver, a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia. The authorities say it was a deliberate attack! The incident occurred around 7 p.m. when the car drove into the crowd at high speed. It didn't take long for the first reports of the victims' terrible injuries to arrive - many are in critical condition!
An act of terror in the run-up to Christmas
The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, confirmed that the number of deaths had risen from two to five. “What a terrible act, injuring and killing so many people with such brutality,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday as he visited the crime scene and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. “Almost 40 people are so seriously injured that we have to be very worried about them.”
The identity of the perpetrator quickly became known: Taleb A., a psychiatrist who has lived in Germany since 2006. He was not previously known to the security authorities. He has reportedly worked as an activist in the past, helping Saudi Arabians and ex-Muslims escape to Europe. His social media is full of anti-Islamic statements and criticism of the religion. A disturbing profile that makes the investigators sit up and take notice!
The Saudi government has condemned the attack and expressed its condolences for the victims. “The kingdom rejects violence and expresses its condolences,” it said in a statement. But the questions remain: Did the perpetrator have accomplices? Was this a targeted attack on German society?
Political convulsions and security issues
The act comes at an extremely sensitive time for German politics. Chancellor Scholz has just lost a vote of confidence in parliament, resulting in early elections on February 23rd. Experts warn that this incident could play into the hands of extremist parties such as the AfD. These have gained ground in the last elections and could benefit from the fear of the population.
The safety precautions at Christmas markets are now being scrutinized. After the terrible incident in Berlin in 2016, when a truck crashed into a Christmas market and killed twelve people, the question is: How could another attack like this happen? “All Christmas markets should be secured against traffic,” emphasizes Raphael Bossong from the German Institute for International and Security Policy. “The authorities have to explain themselves now!”
The investigation is in full swing and police have searched the suspect's home to look for further evidence. Using a rental car could help investigators track the perpetrator's movements before the attack. “There will be records of when the car was picked up and what documents were used,” explains a reporter on site.
Amid this tragedy, the question remains: How can society deal with such hatred? The discussion about migration and security is becoming more heated than ever in Germany. Thoughts are with the victims and their families as the nation tries to come to terms with the shock.