Death toll in Magdeburg Christmas market attack rises to 6 – DW – 01/06/2025

The death toll from an attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has risen to six, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The 52-year-old woman, who was seriously injured in the car crash, died at a city hospital, prosecutors said.

German parliament launches investigation into Magdeburg attack

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How did the attack happen?

On December 20, a man drove a black BMW car into a crowd in a market in the capital of Germany’s eastern state Saxony-Anhalt.

About 300 people were injured and four women and a boy died on the spot.

The 50-year-old suspect* is a Saudi Arabian national who had been in Germany since 2006, and was a practicing physician.

Although he was wanted in Saudi Arabia on human trafficking charges, he was granted political asylum in 2006. Riyadh reportedly tried to warn Berlin that it was potentially dangerous.

An investigation following the attack found that the suspect had espoused extreme anti-Islam views online and criticized the “Islamization” of Germany.

He was captured at the scene after the attack, which has drawn comparisons to a 2016 vehicle crash into a Berlin Christmas market that left 13 people dead, including the perpetrator.

A hallmark of the December holiday season in Germany is the increased installation of anti-vehicle barriers at many Christmas markets across the country.

*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which emphasizes the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected perpetrators or victims and urges us to refrain from disclosing the full names of alleged perpetrators.

es/kb (AFP, dpa)

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