Getty ImagesA man accused of murdering four women and a nine-year-old boy after driving his car at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has been remanded in custody.
A 50-year-old man was brought before a judge on Saturday night after a black BMW plowed into a crowded market on Friday, injuring more than 200 people.
Magdeburg police said the investigation was continuing and they appealed for witnesses to come forward with photos or videos of the incident.
Local media identified the suspect as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian citizen who arrived in Germany in 2006 and worked as a doctor.
On Sunday morning, Magdeburg police confirmed that four women aged 45, 52, 67 and 75 were also killed in the incident.
“The judge ordered pretrial detention on five counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and multiple counts of endangering bodily harm,” the statement said.
Around 100 police, paramedics and firefighters and 50 rescue workers went to the scene shortly after 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday, city officials said.
ReutersWitnesses described how they had to jump out of the path of the car during the attack.
In an interview with German newspaper Bild, a woman named Nadine described how she and her boyfriend Marco were at the Christmas market when a car drove towards them.
“He was hit and pulled away from me,” the 32-year-old told the newspaper. “It’s terrible.”
Lars Frohmüller, a journalist for German public broadcaster MDR, told BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight program he saw “blood on the floor” and “a lot of doctors trying to keep people warm and Help them heal their wounds”.
A memorial service was held for the victims of the attack at Magdeburg Cathedral on Saturday evening
The funeral was attended by victims’ families, first responders and federal government officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Getty ImagesEarlier on Saturday, during a visit to the market, Scholz described the attack as a “terrible tragedy” because in a place that was supposed to be a “joyful” place, “so many people were killed by such a cruel act.” And injuries and death.”
He told reporters he was gravely concerned about those seriously injured and that “all resources” would be allocated to investigating the suspects behind the attack.
Earlier, Saxony-Anhalt Governor Rainer Haseloff said that a preliminary investigation showed that the attacker acted alone.
Prosecutor Horst Walter Knoppens said on Saturday that the investigation was still ongoing, but suggested that a potential motive for the attack “could be dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany”.
Police said Abdulmosen is believed to have entered the market through an entrance reserved for emergency vehicles.
The suspect is a psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.
Abdelmosen is from Saudi Arabia, arrived in Germany in 2006 and was recognized as a refugee in 2016.
He runs a website aimed at helping other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homes.
The suspect has no known ties to Islamic extremism. His social media and posts appear to indicate that he has been critical of Islam.
A source close to the Saudi government told the BBC that the Saudi government sent four official notices, known as “verbal notes”, to the German authorities warning them about Abdul Mohsen’s holdings. “A very extreme view.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the notices were ignored.
However, another experienced counterterrorism expert said Saudi Arabia may be launching a disinformation campaign to discredit those trying to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany.
Additional reporting by Frank Gardner.
