Ticker on the attack in Magdeburg Suspect threatened other authorities +++ Federal Office for Migration had received tip-off
A driver drove into a group of people at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. There were fatalities and numerous injuries: All important developments in the ticker.
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- A driver drove into a group of people at the Magdeburg Christmas market on Friday evening. According to the police, it took around three minutes to drive along the escape and rescue route before he was arrested.
- Five people died and 200 were injured, many of them seriously and critically. The driver of the car was arrested.
- The alleged perpetrator, Taleb A., is being investigated for five counts of murder and 200 counts of attempted murder combined with grievous bodily harm.
- The man is 50 years old, comes from Saudi Arabia, has lived in Germany since 2006 and is a specialist in psychiatry. He has an indefinite residence permit.
- On social media, the alleged perpetrator criticized Islam and the German authorities for not doing more to combat Islamism. He is also said to be inclined towards right-wing extremist parties and ideas.
- Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about Taleb A., according to Saudi security circles. The kingdom had requested his extradition, but Germany had not responded.
- The police assume that he is a lone perpetrator.
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1.33 p.m.
Hundreds at vigil in Magdeburg
Grief and sympathy are still strong in Magdeburg. On Sunday afternoon, several hundred people gathered for a vigil at St. John's Church, the central place of mourning in Magdeburg.
Families were there, people of all ages. Many had tears in their eyes and held each other in their arms. They stood in silence with a view of the ever-growing sea of flowers.
A car had raced through the Christmas market on Friday evening, injuring more than 200 people. The alleged perpetrator is in custody.
In the afternoon, France's Deputy Minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, will lay a wreath for the victims of the attack at Magdeburg Cathedral, as announced by the State Chancellery. Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Justice Franziska Weidinger and representatives of the city of Magdeburg will also be present.
![There is great sympathy in Magdeburg following the terrible crime in Magdeburg.]()
There is great sympathy in Magdeburg following the terrible crime in Magdeburg. Christoph Soeder/dpa -
1.12 p.m.
Suspect made threats in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The alleged perpetrator of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market repeatedly made threats to commit crimes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania several years ago. In 2013, he was sentenced by the Rostock district court to 90 days' imprisonment for disturbing the public peace by threatening to commit crimes, as state Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD) said at a press conference in Schwerin. The "Spiegel" had previously reported on the sentence.
According to the minister, the now 50-year-old Taleb A. lived in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from 2011 to the beginning of 2016 and completed parts of his specialist medical training in Stralsund. In a dispute over the recognition of examination results, he had threatened representatives of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Medical Association with an act that would attract international attention. He had referred to the attack at the Boston Marathon.
According to Pegel, the man's home was also searched as part of the investigation. However, no evidence of any real preparations for an attack was found, nor any Islamist connections. "On the contrary, he seemed to distance himself and advocate the opposite," said Pegel.
In January 2014, the man was suspected of coercion. He wanted to apply to an authority in Stralsund for assistance with living expenses and is said to have threatened to take action that would attract international attention if he did not receive the assistance. He is also said to have threatened to kill himself in the office if his application was rejected.
Pegel went on to report that the police then gave him a so-called endangerment talk. The man had been warned of the consequences of such acts and had been told that he would be looked at much more closely.
Despite further threats, the man was not classified as a threat, explained Pegel. This requires suspicious facts with an ideological connection.
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10 a.m.
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has received a tip-off
According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), it received a tip-off about the suspected perpetrator before the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market. The tip-off was received late last summer via social media channels, the Bamf wrote on Saturday on platform X. "This was taken seriously, as were all the other numerous tips."
As the Federal Office is not an investigative authority, the person providing the information was referred directly to the responsible authorities, as is usual in such cases, it said.
Screenshots are currently circulating on the internet that are said to show messages from a person with warnings about the suspected perpetrator Taleb A. to the Bamf. The authenticity of these screenshots could not initially be verified.
The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, said on Saturday evening on ZDF's "heute journal" that the BKA had received a tip-off from Saudi Arabia about the man in November 2023. "Proceedings have also been initiated here. The police in Saxony-Anhalt then also took appropriate investigative measures." However, the matter was unspecific.
"He also had various contacts with the authorities, insults and sometimes threats. But he was not known for violent acts," Münch said of the suspect. However, these things would have to be checked again to see if the security authorities had gotten away with anything. "We have a completely atypical pattern here, and we also have to analyze it calmly now."
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December 22, 7:18 a.m.
Suspect 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. The 50-year-old has been remanded in custody on charges of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm, police announced in Magdeburg early on Sunday morning. The suspect was brought before a magistrate on Saturday evening.
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.
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23.55 hrs
We end the live ticker on December 21, 2024
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20.10 hrs
Several hundred right-wing extremists march through the city center
Right-wing slogans were also mixed in with the commemoration in Magdeburg city center on Saturday evening. Several hundred participants gathered in a central square in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. Among other things, a banner with the word "Remigration" and so-called homeland flags could be seen there. Shouts of "We are the people" could be heard. According to Der Spiegel, well-known neo-Nazis were also present.
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7.20 p.m.
Hundreds take part in the commemoration in Magdeburg
![Flowers and candles next to the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.]()
Flowers and candles next to the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. FILIP SINGER/KEYSTONEOne day after the death drive at the Magdeburg Christmas market, several hundred people gathered for a memorial service in Magdeburg Cathedral. The memorial service was primarily intended for relatives of the victims, rescue workers and other invited guests. Numerous other people were waiting outside the cathedral. A large video screen was set up for them, on which the service was to be broadcast.
![In front of St. John's Church in Magdeburg, near the Christmas market, people laid flowers and candles.]()
In front of St. John's Church in Magdeburg, near the Christmas market, people laid flowers and candles. Michael Probst/KEYSTONEIn front of the side portal of the cathedral, people placed dozens of lit candles and laid flowers. Because the entrance had been cordoned off with bars before the start of the service, police officers carried the candles to the portal.
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6.12 p.m.
Suspect from Magdeburg is presented to magistrate
The man suspected of being responsible for the death drive at the Magdeburg Christmas market is to be brought before a magistrate. This is to take place on Saturday in Magdeburg, a police spokeswoman said on request. The magistrate will decide whether the suspect will be remanded in custody. According to the investigating authorities, he is still in police custody.
The 50-year-old man is being investigated on suspicion of five counts of murder and attempted murder in 200 cases, said Horst Walter Nopens, senior public prosecutor in Magdeburg.
Following the fatal attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, the investigation is still being conducted by the police in Saxony-Anhalt. The federal prosecutor's office is still examining whether it will take over the investigation, according to the security forces in Magdeburg.
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5.18 p.m.
City of Magdeburg defends security concept
Following the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, the city has defended its security concept. The security concept had been drawn up "to the best of our knowledge and belief" and in consultation with the police and other authorities, Ronni Krug, the city councillor responsible for public order, told journalists in Magdeburg on Saturday.
It was a case "that we could not have anticipated in its dimensions and that perhaps could not have been prevented", said Krug. He emphasized that the city's security concept had been regularly adapted.
Krug justified the fact that the suspect apparently faced no obstacles on his way to the Christmas market during what the public prosecutor's office described as a "rampage" by explaining that the route was intended as a rescue lane for ambulances and the fire department in the event of an emergency. "I think our security concept was good because it was coordinated," emphasized Krug.
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16.46 hrs
Escape route at Christmas market not protected by barrier
According to the city, the escape and rescue route used by the alleged perpetrator to get from Magdeburg to the Christmas market was not protected by barriers or bollards. Emergency doctors and the fire department should be able to access the square via this route in the event of accidents or other operations, said Ronni Krug, the city's deputy for personnel, citizen services and order.
However, mobile police forces were stationed there. The paths were therefore not unprotected, Krug defended the concept. It had "proven itself over many years".
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4.36 p.m.
Possible motive: dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees
The motive of the driver killed in Magdeburg may have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in Germany. This is the current state of the investigation, said Horst Walter Nopens, Chief Public Prosecutor in Magdeburg. The suspect comes from Saudi Arabia.
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4.31 p.m.
Police investigate five counts of murder and attempted murder in 200 cases
The Magdeburg public prosecutor's office is investigating the alleged perpetrator of the Christmas market for five counts of murder. As the senior public prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said, the charge is also attempted murder in 200 cases in conjunction with grievous bodily harm.
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4.28 p.m.
Alleged perpetrator used escape route to Christmas market
In the attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, which left five dead and 200 injured, the alleged perpetrator is said to have used the escape and rescue route to reach the central square. The journey took around three minutes until the arrest, said Tom-Oliver Langhans, the director of the Magdeburg police station, in Magdeburg. According to the current state of the investigation, a second perpetrator can be ruled out, said a police spokesman.
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3.12 p.m.
Viktor Orban blames Europe's refugee policy for attack
Hungary's right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban expresses his condolences after the deadly attack in Magdeburg, but also blames the EU's refugee policy for the incident at the Christmas market in Saxony-Anhalt's capital. "First and foremost, we stand with the Germans," said Orban in Budapest. However, this is not just a matter for the Germans.
Such incidents have only been occurring "since the refugee crisis" in 2015, Orban said. "There is a connection. Some people are trying to deny it." Hungary should "not become a world in which something like this (in Magdeburg) can happen". Orban spoke of an "act of terror". German authorities avoid using this term, as the motives of the alleged perpetrator are unclear.
Under Orban's leadership, Hungary is in an ongoing dispute with the EU over refugee policy. This summer, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposed financial sanctions on Hungary for denying refugees the opportunity to apply for asylum.
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1.55 p.m.
Alleged perpetrator missed court date on December 19
One day before the attack on the Christmas market, the alleged perpetrator was due to appear in court in Berlin. This was because he had lodged an appeal against a penalty order. He received this for misuse of emergency calls, as reported by "Der Spiegel".
The incident that led to this: The man arrested in Magdeburg wanted to file a complaint himself at a police station. Because he was not satisfied with the officers' behavior, he called the fire department while still at the station and demanded legal advice from them.
Because he did not appear at the hearing of his objection, the court dismissed it.
According to media reports, the alleged perpetrator has often been absent from work as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy in recent weeks due to illness.
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1.31 p.m.
Saudi Arabia demanded the extradition of the alleged perpetrator before the attack
According to Saudi security circles, Saudi Arabia has warned Germany about Taleb A., the alleged perpetrator of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. The kingdom has requested his extradition, to which Germany has not responded, it is said.
The man comes from the city of Al-Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia. He was a Shiite. Only around ten percent of the population in the predominantly Sunni country are Shiite. There are repeated reports of discrimination against Shiites in the country.
According to information from the German Press Agency, a kind of warning about the man was issued to the German authorities around a year ago.
The suspect comes from Saudi Arabia and came to Germany in 2006. In social media and interviews, he has recently made accusations against the German authorities, some of which were formulated in a confused manner. Among other things, he accused them of not doing enough to combat Islamism. After going public years ago with his support for Saudi women fleeing their home country, he later wrote on his website in English and Arabic: "My advice: don't ask for asylum in Germany."
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12.56 p.m.
Prime Minister Haseloff: "Balance even more terrible than expected"
We have lost five lives and over 200 people have been injured, many of them seriously and critically," said Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU).
The outcome was even more terrible than initially assumed in the evening. The site of the attack will "forever be associated with the history of the city of Magdeburg", declared a visibly shaken Haseloff at the scene of the attack. It will become part of the city's history as a memorial site.
The Minister President spoke of a dimension that "none of us could have imagined". Haseloff spoke to the media immediately before Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at the closed Christmas market.
![Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, speaks at a press conference on the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market.]()
Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, speaks at a press conference on the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market. KEYSTONE -
12.32 p.m.
Scholz "Hate should not determine our coexistence"
"It is important to me that we stay together as a country, that hatred does not define our coexistence," explains the Federal Chancellor, who repeatedly takes short breaks. He also called for the community not to let those who want to sow hatred get away with it. The perpetrators must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, "precisely for the sake of our community and our common future."
![Chancellor Scholz speaks to the media at the closed Christmas market in Magdeburg.]()
Chancellor Scholz speaks to the media at the closed Christmas market in Magdeburg. KEYSTONE -
12.23 p.m.
Scholz confirms that five people have died so far
Scholz calls what happened a "terrible act", and at one point an attack. He confirms that a fifth person has died. 40 are so seriously injured that there is a lot to worry about.
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12.16 p.m.
Chancellor Scholz speaks to the media
Chancellor Scholz is in Magedburg and speaks to the media. He is deeply saddened. He thanks professional and spontaneous helpers. He predicts that they will still be struggling with the memories. "We must stand together," emphasizes the head of government.
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12.10 p.m.
Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz are now in Magdeburg
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz have arrived in Magdeburg. They are visiting a place of mourning, as reported by a local reporter. Rainer Haseloff, Minister President of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser are traveling with the Chancellor.
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10.40 a.m.
Death toll rises to four, over 200 injured
Following the deadly attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, the death toll has risen to four. According to information from security circles, 41 people were also seriously injured. The "Bild" newspaper and other media reported a total of more than 200 injured. There had previously been talk of two deaths, including a small child. The police did not initially respond to a request for comment. The previous evening, there had initially been talk of more than 60 injured.
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9.54 a.m.
Police have searched several buildings in Bernburg
The alleged perpetrator lives in Bernburg, Saxony-Anhalt, around 40 kilometers from Magdeburg. Police searched several buildings there the night after the crime, as reported by the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Heavily armed police officers searched for a person in an apartment building, among other places. They also questioned residents of the building. They did not confirm that their operation was connected to the attack on the Christmas market. However, this is considered highly likely.
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9 a.m.
AfD supporter with far-right ideas and fear of the "Islamization of Europe"
More and more details emerge about the suspected perpetrator of the Magdeburg attack. Der Spiegel and various other media give his name as Taleb A. On the X platform, various people call him by his full name.
The man, born in 1973 or 1974, came to Germany from Saudi Arabia in 2006, allegedly because he had turned away from Islam and was therefore threatened with death. Germany recognized him as a refugee.
Taleb A. is a specialist in psychiatry and psychiatry, writes Der Spiegel. He is said to enjoy a certain degree of fame among compatriots who have emigrated or fled from Saudi Arabia. He himself has said in interviews that he helps Saudi Arabian women to obtain asylum in Germany.
In recent years, however, he has become increasingly critical of the German asylum system. The country does too little to combat Islamism. On social media, he praises the AfD. On a US anti-Islamic portal, he allegedly claimed that Germany was hunting down ex-Muslims worldwide to destroy their lives.
![The attacker crashed into people at the Christmas market in this allegedly rented car.]()
The attacker crashed into people at the Christmas market in this allegedly rented car. KEYSTONE -
8.22 a.m.
Alleged perpetrator is a critic of Islam
The man from Saudi Arabia arrested after the attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg is known to be an activist critical of Islam. According to the German Press Agency, the 50-year-old doctor, who has lived in Germany since 2006, describes himself as an ex-Muslim.
In social media and interviews, he has recently made accusations against German authorities, some of which have been formulated in a confused manner. Among other things, he accused them of not doing enough to combat Islamism. After going public years ago with his support for Saudi women fleeing their home country, he later wrote on his website in English and Arabic: "My advice: don't ask for asylum in Germany."
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7.10 a.m.
Scholz and Faeser attend memorial service in Magdeburg Cathedral
After the death drive through the Magdeburg Christmas market, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (both SPD) want to come to the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt today. A memorial service is to be held in the cathedral in the evening. One day after the attack that left two people dead and dozens injured, many questions remain unanswered - above all the motives of the arrested suspect for the alleged attack. "We do not yet know the background to the crime, we are considering everything", said a police spokeswoman when asked.
The investigating authorities are still assuming a single perpetrator. Indications that a second car, possibly relevant to the crime, had been spotted in the city center had not been confirmed, the police told X. "We currently have no indications of accomplices," said a spokeswoman. Among other things, searches are being carried out. The spokeswoman went on to say in the morning that a search was underway in Bernburg. She did not give any details. The suspect was officially questioned during the night.
The 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia was confronted and arrested at the scene of the crime. The suspect is a doctor who lives and works in Bernburg, said Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU). According to previous findings, he was not known to the authorities as an Islamist. According to Haseloff, the perpetrator drove into the crowd at the Christmas market in a rented car. According to the newspaper "Bild", citing the police, the drive extended over 400 meters on the grounds.
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03:38 a.m.
Saudi Arabia condemns attack in Magdeburg
Saudi Arabia has condemned the deadly attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. "The Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims," the Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement on X. Accordingly, the Kingdom reaffirms its stance of rejecting violence. It wished the injured a speedy recovery.
On Friday evening, a car driver raced through the Magdeburg Christmas market. At least two people were killed and dozens injured. According to initial findings, the 50-year-old suspect is from Saudi Arabia. The country did not mention him in the statement.
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December 21, 2024 00:17
President Amherd is "shocked" by the attack in Magdeburg
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, has expressed her shock at the attack in Magdeburg. "My thoughts are with the victims and their families," Amherd wrote on the short message service X. Switzerland stands by Germany in these difficult hours.
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11.59 pm
We end the ticker on December 20, 2024
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23.53 hrs
Commemoration in the cathedral on Saturday evening after the Christmas market attack
Following the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, a memorial service is to be held on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. in the city's cathedral. Magdeburg's Lord Mayor Simone Borris tearfully told journalists in the evening that she wanted to give those affected, relatives and all other citizens an opportunity to mourn. "We will need a long time to mourn", she said, visibly stunned. "We will deal with all of this comprehensively."
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23.38 hrs
Minister presidents react with shock to Christmas market attack in Magdeburg
Several heads of government of the federal states have reacted with horror to the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, which claimed at least two lives. "Today, time stands still", declared the Bavarian Minister President and CSU leader Markus Söder on Friday evening. He spoke of "shocking news" and added: "Christmas markets in particular should be a place for families and joie de vivre."
Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt (CDU) was "stunned". He hopes that the dozens of injured people can "fully recover". "To abuse Christmas with its message of peace in this way is shocking".
Brandenburg's head of government Dietmar Woidke (SPD) recalled the deadly truck attack on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz eight years ago. "Today's news tears open old wounds", he explained. He was "stunned and infinitely sad".
The Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), spoke of an "attack on freedom". The images of the car attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg left him "stunned, sad and angry", he explained.
"A terrible attack tears us from the peace of Advent and hits Germany to the core", explained Hessian Minister President Boris Rhein (CDU). He assured "the victims, their families and the emergency services" of his condolences.
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11.04 p.m.
Police storm apartment building in Bernburg
According to the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung", the arrested man comes from Bernburg (Saale). According to the newspaper, there was a police operation there later in the evening. Heavily armed units are said to have stormed an apartment building in Christianstrasse. The police officers were said to be heavily armed and had also rung the doorbells of residents and searched for a person. It is still unclear whether the operation is connected to the attack in Magdeburg.
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10.53 p.m.
Haseloff: Chancellor Scholz comes to Magdeburg on Saturday
Following the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will travel to the city on Saturday, according to Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU).
"The Chancellor will visit tomorrow and assess the situation here with us and will certainly not only mourn with us, but also discuss the necessary measures," said Haseloff in Magdeburg in the evening. "And I can imagine that, due to the seriousness of this attack, the Federal Public Prosecutor General will also become involved."
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10.22 p.m.
Infant among at least two dead
At least two people have died in the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, one adult and one small child. Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Reiner Haseloff said. A large number of people were also injured - at least 60 - and further deaths could not be ruled out.
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10.15 p.m.
Federal President Steinmeier thanks emergency services in Magdeburg
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has thanked the emergency services involved in the suspected attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. "The anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was abruptly interrupted by the reports from Magdeburg," Steinmeier said in a statement. "Not all the background to this terrible crime has yet been clarified. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I would like to thank all the emergency services for their efforts."
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22.04 hrs
Christmas market in Erfurt evacuated as a precaution
The Christmas market in Erfurt has been evacuated as a precautionary measure following the attack in Magdeburg. The Thuringian Minister of the Interior Georg Maier (SPD) explained that this measure was taken at the request of the organizers. There was said to be no concrete threat.
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10.01 p.m.
Baerbock: Deepest sympathy for the victims in Magdeburg
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has reacted with dismay to the suspected attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market. "My deepest sympathy goes out to the victims and their families. My thanks to the rescue workers and helpers," wrote the Green politician on X. She said she was shocked by the images in Magdeburg.
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9.48 p.m.
FDP chairman Christian Lindner is shocked by the suspected attack
FDP leader Christian Lindner is dismayed by the suspected attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. "In Magdeburg, many people were victims of a deadly attack," Lindner wrote on X. "The images have shocked me. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the emergency services on the ground."
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21:38
Video allegedly shows arrest of suspected perpetrator
A video currently doing the rounds on social media apparently shows the arrest of the alleged perpetrator after the fatal zigzagging at the Magdeburg Christmas market. In the recording, several police officers can be seen taking a man away and placing him in a police van.
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21.32 hrs
For Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the news from Magdeburg is "shocking"
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) is also stunned by the news from Magdeburg: "The news from Magdeburg is deeply shocking. The emergency services are doing everything they can to care for the injured and save lives."
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21:24
Man from Saudi Arabia under suspicion - police find suspicious piece of luggage on passenger seat
As reported by "Die Welt", the suspected perpetrator is a man from Saudi Arabia, born in 1974. According to "Bild" information, the man is a doctor who lives in Bernburg (Saale) and works at the hospital. The suspect is said to have rented the vehicle shortly before the crime.
Police officers discovered a piece of luggage on the passenger seat of the vehicle, the contents of which have not yet been conclusively examined. The authorities have not ruled out the possibility that it could be an explosive device. The area has been cordoned off and explosives experts are on site.
The suspected perpetrator is in police custody, but the investigation into his motives and possible background is in full swing. Whether it was a planned attack or other motives are currently under investigation.
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21.16 hrs
Perpetrator caught while turning
A driver zigzagged across the site in his vehicle, hitting numerous people. As the local newspaper "Volksstimme" reports, the police were able to stop the perpetrator when he tried to turn the vehicle around. This is reported by the media.
The outcome of the incident is devastating: according to the Volksstimme, eleven people died and 60 were injured. The identity of the attacker is not yet known, nor is his motive. The police are working flat out to solve the case.
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9.15 p.m.
Magdeburg University Hospital prepares for many injuries
Following the suspected attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market, the first injured are being treated at Magdeburg University Hospital. The first ten to 20 patients are currently being treated, a spokesperson told the German Press Agency. However, the hospital is preparing for significantly more injured people. "We are currently upgrading", said the university hospital spokesperson. "Intensive care beds are ready."
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9.13 p.m.
Olaf Scholz: "The report from Magdeburg is a foreboding sign"
Following the suspected attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (66) has expressed his shock. He wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter):
"The reports from Magdeburg foreshadow terrible things. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We are at their side and at the side of the people of Magdeburg."
Scholz also thanked the rescue workers who are working tirelessly to care for the injured and bring the situation under control. "My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours," added the Chancellor.
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21.04 hrs
Videos and pictures on social media
Videos and pictures of the incident in Magdeburg are circulating on various platforms. According to media reports, 60 to 80 people are said to have been injured. Exact numbers are not yet known.
Following a suspected attack, numerous paramedics and emergency services are on site to treat injured people lying on the ground in front of the market stalls.
As a reporter from the German Press Agency (dpa) reported, tents have been set up to care for the injured. Blue lights illuminate the scene as rescue workers and police try to bring the situation under control. The authorities immediately closed the Christmas market after the attack, and tram services in the area were also suspended.
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21:00
Friedrich Merz on X: "This is very depressing news from Magdeburg"
Friedrich Merz (CDU) speaks out on the X platform. It is very depressing news from Magdeburg.
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8.59 pm
Magdeburg city spokesperson: "Numerous injured"
There are "numerous injured" after the suspected attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg. City spokesman Marcel Reif said. "The fire department and police are on duty and are treating the injured." No more can be said at the moment. "The images are terrible. As far as I know, a car drove into the Christmas market visitors - but I can't yet say from which direction and how far," Reif continued.
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8.43 p.m.
Haseloff: "This is a terrible event"
Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) has reacted with horror to the events at the Magdeburg Christmas market. "This is a terrible event, especially now in the days leading up to Christmas," Haseloff told the German Press Agency. He now wanted to see the situation for himself and was on his way to Magdeburg by car. Haseloff was initially unable to provide any information on the victims or the background to the incident.
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8.32 p.m.
According to city spokesman Michael Reif, it was an "attack on the Christmas market"
According to Saxony-Anhalt government spokesperson Matthias Schuppe, the incident is "probably an attack". According to city spokesman Michael Reif, it was initially an "attack on the Christmas market".
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20:08
Ambulances and paramedics on duty
There were ambulances and paramedics swarming around the Christmas market, said an eyewitness. Magdeburg's Christmas market is located on the Alter Markt, right next to Magdeburg's town hall near the Elbe. There is a large shopping center near the Christmas market. Videos showing numerous emergency vehicles were shown on Platform X in the evening.
![Emergency services on duty at the Christmas market in Magdeburg.]()
Emergency services on duty at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. Bild: sda -
19.58 hrs
Car driver drives into crowd at Christmas market in Magdeburg
A driver has driven into a group of people at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. He was arrested, the German Press Agency learned in the evening from government circles in Saxony-Anhalt. There was initially no information on fatalities or injuries.
