A Saudi-born doctor drove his vehicle into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany on December 20, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others in what authorities are investigating as a possible politically motivated attack.
Police in Magdeburg, the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, stated Sunday that the deceased were four women ages 45, 52, 67 and 75, as well as a nine-year-old boy.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, a psychiatrist who had been living and working in Germany for nearly two decades, was arrested at the scene on Friday evening after his black BMW plowed through the market. Al-Abdulmohsen had been practicing medicine in Bernburg, approximately 25 miles south of Magdeburg.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the nation, stating that “nearly 40 of them are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them.”
The attack occurred during peak evening hours when the market was filled with holiday shoppers enjoying a centuries-old German tradition.
Eyewitness Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a 34-year-old manicurist, described the horrifying scene. She described that she and her husband assisted victims for two hours. Her husband returned home to grab blankets to cover the injured people in the freezing weather.
Investigation records reveal that German authorities had received warnings about al-Abdulmohsen from Saudi Arabia in November 2023, but these warnings were reportedly unspecific. The suspect had been recognized as a refugee in 2016 and had worked at a specialist clinic in Bernburg since March 2020.
Peter Neumann, director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence at King’s College London, noted the unusual profile of the suspect: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar.”
The suspect’s social media presence revealed strong anti-Islamic views and support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He had been vocal about his criticism of what he perceived as German authorities’ failure to combat “Islamism of Europe.”
“This perpetrator acted in an unbelievably cruel and brutal manner — like an Islamist terrorist, although he was obviously ideologically an Islamophobe,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Sunday, December 22.
Governor Reiner Haseloff of Saxony-Anhalt confirmed to reporters that the suspect acted alone and there was no further danger to the city.
Several German cities canceled their weekend Christmas markets in solidarity with Magdeburg, while Berlin increased police presence at its markets. The attack occurred eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 13 people.
German officials face mounting scrutiny over security measures and their prior knowledge of the suspect. During their Saturday visit, public officials encountered angry reactions from citizens who expressed outrage over what they viewed as security failures. German authorities have maintained that the market’s security layout was appropriate.
Questions have also emerged regarding warnings about the suspect received by authorities. Police confirmed they had conducted a threat assessment of the individual a year before the attack.
A judge has ordered the suspect held in custody while awaiting trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
Investigators are closely examining the suspect’s extensive social media presence as they build their case. His X account showed a pattern of posting anti-Islamic content and conspiracy theories, including previous threats.
Miguel Berger, Germany’s ambassador to the UK, questioned X’s content moderation practices in a BBC Radio 4 interview Sunday. “We have seen that the man who committed this terrible attack was extremely active, threatening on X. The question is, ‘does X really act against these things?'” Berger noted that despite EU Digital Safety Act requirements for social media platforms to take action, “It has not happened.”
Elon Musk, X’s owner, called for Chancellor Scholz’s resignation and reshared posts criticizing German authorities’ handling of the suspect’s social media threats. The BBC sought comment from X regarding these developments.
Musk’s criticism extended beyond the Magdeburg incident. Hours before the attack, he posted support for Alternative for Germany (AfD), stating “Only the AfD can save Germany.” AfD leader Alice Weidel responded by thanking Musk, calling her party “the one and only alternative for our country; our very last option” – a post Musk later reshared.
When asked about Musk’s comments on German voting, Ambassador Berger responded: “I think Elon Musk – before giving unwanted advice to German citizens – he should look at the responsibility of his own platform.”
