Magdeburg (dpa) – After the fatal drive in a car through the Christmas market in Magdeburg, an arrest warrant has been issued against the arrested suspect. The 50-year-old had to be taken into custody on charges of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm, the police in Magdeburg said early on Sunday morning. The suspect was brought before a judge on Saturday evening.
Investigator: Driver of death had no accomplices
The man was taken into police custody for the first time after the crime that left five people dead and 200 injured on Friday evening. The suspect is a doctor from Bernburg who is known as an Islam critic and comes from Saudi Arabia. The investigators said it was a single perpetrator; according to current investigations, there is no evidence of a second perpetrator.
The man is said to have used emergency lanes that were kept clear to race through the Christmas market in his car and drive around large people at the speed. According to 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 triggered… Germany There was shock and sadness, and there were also hasty reactions from abroad.
Federal prosecutors are examining 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 senior public prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens in Magdeburg.
The investigation continues to be carried out by the police Saxony-Anhalt led. Die Federal Prosecutor's Office The security authorities in Magdeburg say they are still checking whether they will take over the investigation. The Federal Prosecutor's Office can prosecute crimes relevant to state security if they are of so-called special importance.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the 50-year-old, who has lived in Germany since 2006, describes himself as an ex-Muslim. Accordingly, he submitted an asylum application in February 2016, which was decided in July of the same year. At that time, the Saudi citizen received asylum as a politically persecuted person.
Mourning with flowers and candles
Many people in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt remembered 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 from the cathedral was broadcast.
In many places across the city, mourners laid flowers and lit candles for the victims. Mayor Simone Borris (independent) called on Magdeburg residents to stick together despite the shocking events.
