Deadly attack at the christmas market in Magdeburg: At least five dead and over 200 injured, suspect arrested

On Friday, December 20, 2024, a major attack shook the city of Magdeburg, located in northeastern Germany, when a vehicle drove into a crowd at the Christmas market. The incident, which occurred in the early evening, resulted in at least five deaths, including a 9-year-old child, and more than 200 injuries, with around forty in critical condition. Regional authorities suspect a terrorist attack and consider it a “likely attack,” though the investigation is still ongoing. The suspect, a 50-year-old man of Saudi origin, was arrested by the police on the scene. He has been practicing as a doctor in Germany since 2006 and lives in the Saxe-Anhalt region.

The attack occurred around 7:00 p.m. when the car struck pedestrians, traveling 400 meters across the Christmas market. The local police confirmed the arrest of the perpetrator, who acted alone. Although the man had no known criminal history, he seemed motivated by personal grievances against the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany. He had also expressed Islamophobic and anti-Islamist views on social media, which led the German Interior Minister to describe the attack as “Islamophobic in nature.”

The death toll could still rise as emergency services continue to assist the numerous injured. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, deeply affected by this tragic event, expressed his thoughts to the victims and their families, assuring that “no act of hate will go unpunished.” He visited the site along with the Interior Minister and praised the work of the emergency responders. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck also called the attack a “horrible new development” on social media.