The driver drove 400 meters straight through the crowd at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. At least two people died and approximately 70 were injured in the attack.
Shortly after the attack, a suspected perpetrator was arrested by the police. It is about a 50-year-old doctor who came to Germany from Saudi Arabia in 2006.
– Based on what we know, he acted alone. We have no information about any other perpetrators, says Tamara Zieschang, Minister of the Interior of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt at a press conference.
Describes himself as “critic of Islam”
The motive is still unknown, according to the police. But a Saudi source tells the news agency Reuters that Saudi Arabia warned Germany about the man, because he posted extreme views on his account on X.
It is not clear from Reuters’ reporting when the warning should have been issued or how it was worded. German authorities have not yet commented on the data.
Several German media write about an account on X that bears the same name as the designated perpetrator. It states, among other things, that “Germany wants to Islamize Europe”. The account’s cover photo shows an automatic weapon.
Die Welt further writes that the perpetrator was previously interviewed by Frankfurter Allgemeine, and that he described himself there as “the most aggressive critic of Islam in history”.
Be worried about persecution
It is currently unclear whether the X account that the German media is writing about is the same account that was the basis for Saudi Arabia’s warning. German authorities have also not confirmed the connection between the account and the perpetrator.
The man lived in Bernburg, about five miles from Magdeburg, reports Die Welt. When he applied for asylum, he stated that he was worried about persecution in his home country because of his views, the newspaper writes.