An individual plowed their black BMW into pedestrians at high speed at a crowded Christmas market in Germany at around 7 p.m. local time Friday, resulting in at least two deaths and an estimated 60 people injured. The suspected driver, a 50-year-old Saudi national who worked as a doctor, was arrested after the incident.
Reports surfaced that a driver drove through the crowds at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, with police closing down the market in response, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The suspected driver has been arrested by authorities, with an "extensive police operation" taking place shortly after the tragic event, the BBC added.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took to his X account to respond to the incident, tweeting in German that his “thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
“We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” stated Scholz, as rendered into English by Google translate.
The Magdeburg Christmas market was a major event, reported CNN, scheduled to take place from Nov. 22 through Dec. 29, and featured approximately140 market vendors.
In December 2016, an Islamic extremist named Anis Amri drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin, resulting in 13 deaths and dozens of injuries. Amri was killed in a shootout with authorities days later.
This is a developing story and information may change. We will continue to report further updates.
