Death drive from Mannheim Police chief witnessed the fatal drive +++ Perpetrator to be questioned today
In Germany, there has reportedly been another road rage incident: a driver is said to have plowed into a crowd of people. Two people are dead and several injured. The latest developments in the ticker.
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- At around 12.15 p.m. on Monday, a small Ford car drove into a crowd of people in Mannheim.
- The police have confirmed two fatalities.
- The police have been able to arrest the Ford driver. He is said to be a 40-year-old German.
- According to initial findings by the investigating authorities, the crime was not politically or religiously motivated. However, the suspect is said to have been mentally disturbed.
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9.05 a.m.
Investigators want to question alleged driver of death today
The 40-year-old man suspected of two murders and multiple attempted murders is to be questioned today. According to the German Press Agency, the German from Ludwigshafen is no longer in hospital but in police custody. "We will question him today", said Andreas Stenger, head of the State Criminal Police Office.
When he was arrested, the man is said to have shot himself in the mouth with a blank-firing pistol. He was in the shock room, guarded and, according to information, has now been released from hospital. The police hope that the interrogation will provide information about the motive and background to the crime.
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Tuesday, March 4, 8:40 a.m.
Mannheim's police chief witnessed the death drive
Ulrike Schäfer, Mannheim's Chief of Police, witnessed the death drive herself on Monday. She was walking in the pedestrian zone at 12.14 p.m. when a car drove past her at high speed, reports "Bild". "I knew immediately that something was wrong." The car drove on through the middle of the crowd without slowing down.
Schäfer then immediately informed her colleagues: "When the first emergency call was made to the control center, it wasn't clear whether it was an accident or intentional." She was able to clarify this immediately. She was also able to provide information about the getaway car. With success: "At 12.26 p.m., the getaway car was found abandoned, and at 12.43 p.m. my officers were able to report the arrest."
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8.45 p.m.
Mannheim perpetrator had a criminal record
The perpetrator behind the Mannheim death drive was no stranger to the police. There were a few previous convictions dating back a long time, said public prosecutor Romeo Schüssler at a media conference in Mannheim. These involved an assault for which he had served a short prison sentence over ten years ago, as well as a case of drunk driving.
The last offence was a hate speech offence from 2018, for which he had posted a comment on Facebook and was therefore sentenced to a fine
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20.10 hrs
Cab driver stopped driver of death, perpetrator shoots himself in the mouth
The man who raced through the city center of Mannheim at high speed was apparently stopped by a cab driver. Bild" reported this, citing emergency services on the scene: "A cab driver followed the car and stopped the driver. He is the hero for me!" a police officer is quoted as saying.
The driver had just taken a break when the perpetrator sped through Mannheim. After a pursuit, the cab driver was able to force the perpetrator to stop. He then shot at the cab driver, who remained unharmed, and fled.
When he was arrested, he shot himself in the mouth with a blank-firing pistol and was critically injured. This was also confirmed by the police at a media conference. His state of health was stabilizing, but the man could not yet be questioned.
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7.50 p.m.
Interior Minister Faeser thanks police after "horror"
The German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has thanked the police and the rescue services after the death drive in a pedestrian zone in Mannheim. "The police did an outstanding job," said the SPD politician in the evening after she had visited the scene. Faeser said that around 30 police officers were on the scene within ten minutes.
Now it was time to let the investigating authorities do their work. It was a terrible act, "a horror in broad daylight, in beautiful weather, during the lunch break, when many people are outside".
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7.24 pm
Maite Kelly cancels concert after death drive
Singer Maite Kelly has canceled a concert planned for Wednesday in the city after the Mannheim death drive. "Out of respect for the victims of Mannheim: Maite Kelly and Mewes Entertainment Group cancel concert in the SAP Arena," it says on Kelly's Instagram channel. Mewes Entertainment is the tour organizer.
Kelly was due to perform at the SAP Arena on Wednesday as part of her "Nur Liebe - Live 2025" tour. "Sometimes only silence remains. My entire creative team of craftsmen and I will leave our tools behind out of respect for the victims and those affected by Mannheim," Kelly is quoted as saying in the press release. Together we want to light a candle for Mannheim.
![Singer Maite Kelly has canceled a concert out of respect for the victims of the Mannheim death drive. (archive picture)]()
Singer Maite Kelly has canceled a concert out of respect for the victims of the Mannheim death drive. (archive picture) Bild: dpa -
7.10 pm
Macron assures support after Mannheim death drive
Following the death drive in Mannheim city center, French President Emmanuel Macron has assured his country's support. "To all the people of Mannheim, especially to the families of the victims of this act of violence, to the German people. France stands by your side," Macron wrote on X.
The French head of state published the message in both French and German.
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18:26
Police correct casualty figures
According to the police, two people were killed in the fatal car crash in Mannheim. Ten other people were injured, five of them seriously. The injured were taken to various hospitals. No statement can currently be made about the extent and severity of the injuries.
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18.21 hrs
Investigators do not assume a political background
Investigators are not assuming a political background in the death drive in Mannheim city center. This was announced by the police in Mannheim.
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5.30 p.m.
Alleged perpetrator was mentally disturbed
New details have emerged about the alleged perpetrator of the Mannheim attack. According to information from SWR, the 40-year-old driver of the car is from Baden-Württemberg. However, the German had last lived in Ludwigshafen (Rhineland-Palatinate). The German security authorities had not previously noticed the man in connection with extremism or terrorism. However, he is said to have been mentally conspicuous in the past.
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16.31 hrs
Mannheim car driver comes from Rhineland-Palatinate
The man who allegedly drove a car into a crowd of people in Mannheim is a 40-year-old German from Rhineland-Palatinate. The Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) told the news agency dpa.
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16.27 hrs
Carnival parades canceled
Several carnival parades in Baden-Württemberg have been canceled following the events in Mannheim. The parades planned for Tuesday in Brühl, Heidelberg and Schwetzingen will not take place, according to "Bild". "The tragic events in Mannheim have deeply shaken us all, and in this situation we think it is the only right decision," Schwetzingen's mayor Matthias Steffan is quoted as saying.
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3.39 pm
Mannheim city center remains cordoned off over a wide area
After a vehicle drove into a group of people in Mannheim, the city center has been cordoned off over a wide area, according to police. It is possible that the cordoning off measures will continue until late in the evening, said a police spokesman at the scene.
According to the police, there are also increased controls in neighboring Ludwigshafen due to the operation in Mannheim. The Rheinpfalz police headquarters in Mannheim's neighboring city in Rhineland-Palatinate announced that they were supporting the operation with control measures in the inner city area and on the bridges to Mannheim.
According to the police, a car had driven into a crowd of people in Mannheim in the middle of the city center. According to security sources, two people were killed and others were injured. The suspected driver was arrested.
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3.30 p.m.
Allegedly 5 to 10 injured
According to initial findings, between five and ten people were injured in the fatal incident involving a car in the center of Mannheim. This was reported to the German Press Agency by security sources. "Bild" had previously reported that 25 people were injured.
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3.23 p.m.
Driver was apparently German
According to the Bild newspaper, the driver is said to be German. He is currently in hospital and is being guarded by the police. The police do not believe that anyone else was involved. The dpa learned this from security circles.
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3.18 p.m.
Pictures show destroyed car
The completely destroyed Ford is being examined.
Image: KEYSTONE
Officers near the scene.
Image: KEYSTONE
Forensic experts examine the car.
Image: KEYSTONE
Mannheim incident 3.3.2025
The completely destroyed Ford is being examined.
Image: KEYSTONE
Officers near the scene.
Image: KEYSTONE
Forensic experts examine the car.
Image: KEYSTONE
The car in which the man drove into the crowd is visibly damaged. The windshield was destroyed and a tire is also broken, as pictures show. It is still unclear whether it was an attack or an accident. Specialists are securing the evidence on site.
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3.06 p.m.
Two adults and one child apparently seriously injured
Following the incident in the center of Mannheim, a total of three people have been treated at the university hospital. The two adults and the child have been classified as having a high degree of medical urgency and are receiving acute medical care, the hospital announced.
![Numerous emergency services are on duty in Mannheim.]()
Numerous emergency services are on duty in Mannheim. KEYSTONE -
2.34 p.m.
Summary of the events
A car has crashed into a crowd of people in Mannheim city center. According to the police, at least one person was killed and several others were injured. The suspected driver has been arrested. It is still unclear whether it was an accident or an attack.
According to eyewitness reports, the man is said to have hit or knocked down several passers-by with his small Ford car. A carnival market with dozens of food stalls and rides is currently taking place on the Planken and around the water tower.
According to a dpa reporter, debris could be seen at the scene of the incident, with at least one person lying covered under a tarpaulin. The investigation was in full swing, said a police spokesman. No details of the driver or background have yet been released. The police asked people to avoid the city center and to drive around a large area.
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2.27 p.m.
Police set up psychological support in Mannheim
In connection with the large-scale police operation in Mannheim, psychological support is to be set up on site. According to a police spokesperson in Mannheim, this is to provide care for those directly involved. A hotline and a witness collection point will also be set up.
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2.14 p.m.
Mannheim in "shock paralysis"
Mannheim police have confirmed that a car drove into a crowd of people at 12.15 pm. One perpetrator has been arrested.
"It's totally quiet here. People are shocked by the events. The city is in a kind of state of shock," reports a reporter from the Rheinpfalz newspaper. Hundreds of police officers are on duty: "I've never seen anything like it."
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14.08 hrs
Allegedly two dead and 25 injured
According to "Bild", the number of fatalities has risen to two. 25 people are said to have been injured - 15 of them seriously. It is also reported that the driver of the car responsible for the suffering has been arrested.
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1.45 p.m.
Perpetrator allegedly caught
According to the "Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung", the driver of the SUV has been arrested by the police. However, this has not yet been confirmed.
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1.42 p.m.
Eyewitness: "You can only see the injured and the dead"
"It's terrible here", the "Mannheimer Morgen" quotes a showman who had traveled to Mannheim for the carnival, "nobody knows what happened, you only see injured people and the dead man, and you don't know what to do."
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13.34 hrs
Several helicopters over the city
According to theBildnewspaper, police officers with submachine guns were stationed on all streets and bridges, controlling entrances and exits to the city center. Several helicopters were also circling over the city.
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1.25 p.m.
Police chase suspected perpetrator
A video on X shows several heavily armed police officers apparently confronting a man. It is not clear whether the driver has been arrested.
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1.15 p.m.
Another rampage in Germany
Police operation in Mannheim: The police confirm that there is an operation. On social media, eyewitnesses report a rampage in the city center. There have apparently been casualties. According to the "Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" newspaper, at least one person is dead. The Mannheim University Hospital is said to have issued a disaster alert.
A black SUV is said to have driven into a crowd of people, reports the "Fuldaer Zeitung". The police have warned people to avoid the city center.
The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior has also issued a warning. There is "extreme danger". The population should avoid the city center at all costs.
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