A man has been taken into custody following a tragic incident in Magdeburg, Germany, where he allegedly used a vehicle to fatally strike four women and a nine-year-old boy at a Christmas market. The 50-year-old suspect appeared before the Magdeburg district court on Saturday after the horrific event on Friday evening, which resulted in over 200 injuries.
According to local police, the investigations are ongoing, and they are urging anyone with photos or videos of the scene to come forward. The man, identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is a Saudi national who immigrated to Germany in 2006 and worked as a psychiatrist.
Authorities confirmed that the victims included four women aged 45, 52, 67, and 75. The court has ordered pre-trial detention for multiple charges, including five counts of murder and numerous counts of attempted murder and bodily harm. In response to the incident, around 100 police officers, medics, and firefighters were deployed to the scene shortly after the attack.
Witnesses recounted the panic as they had to leap out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. One survivor described the intense moment, sharing her ordeal of seeing her partner injured during the attack.
A memorial service for the victims was held at Magdeburg Cathedral, attended by grieving families, emergency responders, and government officials, including the German Chancellor, who condemned the act as a “dreadful tragedy.” He voiced concerns for the critically injured and assured that all necessary resources would be dedicated to the investigation.
Initial investigations suggest that the alleged attacker acted alone, though the prosecutor hinted at a potential motive related to dissatisfaction with the conditions faced by Saudi refugees in Germany. Reports indicate that al-Abdulmohsen may have accessed the market through a restricted entry meant for emergency services.
The suspect has no ties to Islamist extremism, with evidence suggesting that he harbored critical views about Islam. Additionally, a source linked to the Saudi government claimed that they had previously alerted German authorities about the suspect’s extreme views, but those warnings went unheeded. Some experts suggest that there may be an attempt to undermine his credibility in light of a history of activism for Saudi women seeking asylum.
The devastating events have sent shockwaves through the community, prompting calls for further scrutiny of public safety measures around such gatherings.
