Germany Sixth fatality after attack in Magdeburg
A sixth person has died after the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market. A 52-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital, a spokesperson for the Naumburg public prosecutor's office told the German Press Agency. She died as a result of the attack.
06.01.2025, 09:23
SDA
Shortly before Christmas, a 50-year-old man drove a car through the Christmas market in the eastern German city. So far, six people have died, a nine-year-old boy and five women aged between 45 and 75. There have also been almost 300 injuries.
Man is in custody
The man from Saudi Arabia is in custody. Before the crime, he was repeatedly in contact with the authorities during investigations. He appeared in seven investigations between April 2023 and October 2024. He was the complainant in five cases and a defendant in two.
The investigations are now focusing on the question of the 50-year-old's culpability. According to the public prosecutor's office in Naumburg, an expert opinion will be commissioned to determine whether and how he is mentally ill.
Driven between traffic lights and concrete blockade
The police's operational concept and the security concept of the Christmas market are also at issue. The man had driven between a pedestrian traffic light and a concrete block barrier. According to the Ministry of the Interior in Magdeburg, the distance between the traffic lights and the barrier was around six meters on either side of the traffic lights. The organizer's stand plan provided for a total passage width of four metres.
It will also be investigated why escape and rescue routes were not secured with steel chains. Why a police vehicle was parked a few meters away from a planned location is also being investigated.
