Skip next section What did local officials say about the attack?
12/20/2024December 20, 2024
What did local officials say about the attack?
Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang, speaking alongside state premier Reiner Haseloff at a press conference on Friday night, offered further details about the suspect, saying he was a 50-year-old who had been practicing medicine in Bernburg, about 23 miles (36 kilometers) south of Magdeburg.
“As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, meaning that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city,” State Premier Reiner Haseloff told reporters.
Haseloff said flags would be flown at half-mast in Saxony-Anhalt out of respect for the victims and that the federal government planned to do the same.
“It is really one of the worst things one can imagine, particularly in connection with what a Christmas market should bring,” Haseloff said.
Haseloff announced that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would visit Magdeburg on Saturday “and will certainly not only mourn with us, but also discuss the necessary next steps.”
Haseloff also said that given “the seriousness of this attack” he could imagine federal prosecutors also wanting to take action.
In the event that the crime is deemed terrorist in nature, federal prosecutors would bring the case.
https://p.dw.com/p/4oRYt
Skip next section What have police said about the case so far?
12/20/2024December 20, 2024
What have police said about the case so far?
Magdeburg police reported that they had arrested a male suspect late on Friday.
They also appealed to locals to head home or stay at home, saying “it would make our work much easier.”
In a later update, the city’s police said they believed the suspect had acted alone.
“In the case of the suspect it appears to concern a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia. The man was captured immediately at the crime scene and placed under provisional arrest. We are currently working on the assumption of a lone perpetrator,” police said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4oRYs
Skip next section German politicians react, Scholz to visit Magdeburg Saturday
12/20/2024December 20, 2024
German politicians react, Scholz to visit Magdeburg Saturday
, chancellor candidate for the conservative CDU, said he was saddened by the news from Magdeburg.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I would like to thank all the emergency services taking care of the injured on site,” he said.
Vice Chancellor also expressed shock over the “terrible news from Magdeburg, where people wanted to spend the Advent season in peace and community. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Chancellor reacted to the incident online, saying “news from Magdeburg suggests the worst.” He also and expressed his thanks to first responders.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she had been in contact with her counterpart at the state level in Saxony-Anhalt and offered whatever assistance federal authorities could provide in the investigation.
“The shocking crime in Magdeburg a few days before Christmas strikes at our heart,” Faeser said in a press release. “Emergency services are doing all they can to care for those affected.”
She said that she and Chancellor Scholz would also visit Magdeburg on Saturday.
https://p.dw.com/p/4oRYn
Skip next section Two killed, scores injured in Christmas market attack
12/20/2024December 20, 2024
Two killed, scores injured in Christmas market attack
Two people were killed and more than 60 injured when an individual crashed a rented car into a crowded Christmas market in the central German town of Magdeburg around 7:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Friday evening.
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Police in Magdeburg have arrested a Saudi national and believe he acted alone.
Police say the man is not known to have any Islamist ties but said they were still investigating a possible motive for the attack.
Saxony-Anhalt’s State Premier Reiner Haseloff said that the man was a doctor with permanent residency status who had been living in Germany since 2006.
https://p.dw.com/p/4oRYm
The post Magdeburg: 2 dead, dozens injured in Christmas market attack appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
