Germany Suspect from Magdeburg is remanded in custody
Following the fatal drive through the Christmas market in Magdeburg, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the suspect.
22.12.2024, 04:07
SDA
The 50-year-old was remanded in custody on charges of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm, police announced in Magdeburg early on Sunday morning. The suspect was brought before a magistrate on Saturday evening.
Investigators: driver of death had no accomplice
The man was initially taken into police custody after the attack on Friday evening, which left five people dead and 200 injured. The suspect is a doctor from Bernburg who is known as a critic of Islam and comes from Saudi Arabia. According to the investigators, it was a single perpetrator and there was no evidence of a second perpetrator.
The man is said to have used emergency lanes that had been kept clear to race through the Christmas market in his car and knock people down at high speed. According to the authorities, four women aged 45, 52, 67 and 75 and a nine-year-old boy were killed. The attack on the Christmas market not only caused horror and grief in Germany, there were also dismayed reactions from abroad.
Federal prosecutor's office investigating the case
It is not yet clear what motivated the alleged perpetrator to commit the crime. The motive could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in Germany, said Horst Walter Nopens, Chief Public Prosecutor in Magdeburg.
The investigation is still being conducted by the police in Saxony-Anhalt. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is still examining whether it will take over the investigation, the security authorities in Magdeburg announced. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office can prosecute crimes relevant to state security if they are of so-called special significance.
According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the 50-year-old, who has lived in Germany since 2006, describes himself as an ex-Muslim. According to the report, he applied for asylum in February 2016 and a decision was made in July of the same year. At the time, the Saudi citizen was granted asylum as a politically persecuted person.
Mourning with flowers and candles
Many people in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt commemorated the victims and their relatives on Saturday evening. According to initial police estimates, more than 1,000 people took part in the commemoration in front of the cathedral alone - a large video screen was set up on which the service was broadcast from the cathedral.
In many places in the city, mourners laid flowers and lit candles for the victims. Mayor Simone Borris (non-party) called on the people of Magdeburg to stick together despite the shocking events.
