The bomber who plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday night was from Saudi Arabia, state authorities said. The culprit in the tragedy is 50 years old.
The premier of Saxony-Anhalt has lived in Germany for many years and works as a doctor, he added. “He had planned to rent a car shortly before the attack. The culprit is now in police custody,” it read in German media.
Der Spiegel reported that the man had been staying with a neighbor to the west since 2006 and was granted refugee status in 2016. As a physician, he specialized in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
A Magdeburg police spokesperson said it was still unclear whether the man acted alone. From the moment I hit the first people, I ran another 400 meters.
Magdeburg. Christmas market attack
Daily newspaper Bild reported that 60 to 80 people may have been injured and 11 killed in the attack, citing rescue teams and police. State authorities then officially announced two deaths, including one child.
The attack occurred at 7:04 p.m. The driver was arrested shortly after. Initial findings indicate that the vehicle involved in the incident is a dark-colored BMW. Authorities believe there was an explosive device inside the vehicle.
Fair organizers urged people to stay away from the city centre. Emergency services and the fire brigade are at the scene. “Police are searching the fenced area of the Christmas market for explosives,” Bild newspaper reported.
Information sources: “Welt'', “Bild'', “Spiegel''
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