After the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, a suspect was arrested on site. As a police spokesman in Magdeburg said on Friday evening, it is not yet clear whether it was a lone perpetrator. An eyewitness to the attack told the “Volksstimme” that the perpetrator had driven into the fairy tale area of the Christmas market. There are “many families” in this area.
According to police, the perpetrator raced through the crowd “at least 400 meters above the Christmas market”. A video purporting to show the attack shows a car running over dozens of people at very high speed.
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The man is said to come from Saudi Arabia
According to information provided by the German authorities, the suspect arrested in Magdeburg was apparently not known to be Islamist. According to current information, he is said to be around 50 years old and comes from Saudi Arabia.
This video shows the man's arrest
Additional footage showing the arrest of the suspect who carried out this evening's ramming attack on a #Christmas Market in the German city #Magdeburg.
Additional images include the arrest of the suspect observing them during a Christmas march. pic.twitter.com/qjU6hqsivR
— Ωmega News (@satch_omega) December 20, 2024
According to Spiegel, he was born in the Saudi city of Hofuf. Taleb A. is said to have come to Germany in March 2006. According to Spiegel, he was recognized as a refugee in July 2016. He is said to be a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
State Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang said, according to media reports, that the man had been in Germany since 2006 and had a permanent residence permit.
Before the crime, the man had rented a car in which he then raced through the Christmas market. According to information from the world, a piece of luggage was found on the passenger seat. The authorities initially could not rule out the possibility that it was filled with explosives. It was also unclear whether the perpetrator acted alone or was an accomplice.
