Pretrial detention for Magdeburg Christmas market suspect
December 22, 2024
A court in Magdeburg has approved a pretrial detention warrant for the suspect in Friday's Christmas market attack. The 50-year-old faces five homicide charges, among other counts.
People laid flowers, candles and other items at a memorial site on Sunday eveningImage: Michael Probst/AP/picture alliance
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Magdeburg police said in the early hours of Sunday that the suspect in the Christmas market car attack in the city on Friday night had been issued a warrant for pretrial detention.
Magdeburg's district court approved an appeal from the city's public prosecutors in a late-night hearing on Saturday, police said in a statement.
"The arraignment judge ordered investigative detention on suspicion of five cases of homicide, multiple cases of attempted homicide and multiple cases of dangerous bodily harm," police said.
"The accused was accordingly taken to a place of detention," the short statement concluded.
Grief and tributes after Magdeburg Christmas market attack
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The 50-year-old Saudi national, resident in Germany since 2006, was arrested soon after the attack on Friday evening. Roughly 200 people were injured in the attack, some of them severely.
Investigators said the suspect acted alone, and there were no indications of a second perpetrator according to their findings.
It was still too early to determine a definitive motive for the crime, authorities said, adding that there was no indication it was Islamist-motivated.
It said the victims were a 9-year-old boy, and four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75. In line with German privacy norms, police did not identify the victims.
A major commemoration was held at the city's cathedral near the scene of the crime on Saturday evening, attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other German leaders.
Magdeburg: Grief and disbelief after Christmas market attack
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German first and second division Bundesliga matches are all holding a minute's silence at the weekend in commemoration.
Security was also enhanced around Christmas Markets across the country following Friday's attack, with a heightened police presence visible at most on Saturday.
Most German Christmas markets close on either December 22 or December 23, ahead of the public holidays.
km/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Magdeburg: Day after Christmas market attack
After the deadly vehicular attack in Magdeburg, the Christmas market remains closed. People from Magdeburg and beyond paid their respects at the scene of the attack — including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Image: Christian Mang/REUTERS
Deserted and desolate
After the attack on the Christmas market in central Magdeburg, which left five people dead and hundreds injured, some of them seriously, the market remained closed.
Image: Ronny Hartmann/AFP
In memory
Outside the Church of St. John, which is located right beside the Magdeburg Christmas market, passersby laid flowers or mementos or lit candles.
Image: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture alliance
Shared grief
Over the course of the weekend, people came to pay their respcts at the scene.
Image: Ronny Hartmann/AFP/Getty Images
Olaf Scholz in Magdeburg
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to Magdeburg the day after the attack. Seen here with members of the city fire brigade, Scholz spoke of a “terrible atrocity."
Image: Christian Mang/REUTERS
Political visitors
Along with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, other politicians came to express their condolences too: (right to left) Reiner Haseloff, state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, the federal state in which Magdeburg is located, federal transport minister Volker Wissing, federal environment minister Steffi Lemke and interior minister Nancy Faeser.
Image: John Macdougall/AFP/Getty Images
Mass media interest
Chancellor Scholz warned against allowing the act to divide German society.
Image: Michael Probst/AP Photo/picture alliance
No more sweets
A day after the attack, workers began clearing out goods at the Christmas market. The only spectators are police assigned to guard the market, which is closed to the public.
Image: Ronny Hartmann/AFP
Security at markets increased
The Magdeburg Christmas market's closure poses a financial problem for many traders. Other Christmas markets are beefing up secuirty and there was even a suggestion that all markets in Germany be closed.
