In a horrific attack that has left the city of Magdeburg, Germany in shock and mourning, a man drove an SUV at high speed through the crowded Christmas market on Friday evening, killing five people and injuring over 200, some critically. The joyous holiday atmosphere was shattered in an instant as the vehicle plowed a path of destruction through the festive wooden stalls and terrified market-goers.
The alleged perpetrator, identified as a 50-year-old Saudi national named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen who has lived in Germany since 2006, was apprehended by police shortly after the attack. Investigators are combing through his social media history, where he had reportedly made threats and expressed anger towards German authorities and society.
A City in Mourning
As Magdeburg reels from this devastating act of violence, the Christmas market remains closed and the city has fallen into a state of mourning. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the attack site on Saturday, laying a white rose and condemning the “terrible and insane” act:
There is no place more peaceful and joyful than a Christmas market. People come together for a few days before Christmas … to be together in contemplation but also to celebrate. To drink a glühwein, to eat a bratwurst. What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality.
– German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Echoes of Past Tragedy
The attack has painful echoes of the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, where an Islamist terrorist drove a stolen truck into the Breitscheidplatz market, killing 12. Since then, heavy security measures like bollards disguised as giant Lego bricks have become common at German Christmas markets – but could not prevent this latest catastrophe.
Suspect’s Troubled Past
As a psychiatrist who treated asylum seekers, Abdulmohsen had reportedly faced criticism from patients after renouncing Islam and had accused German authorities of censorship and mistreatment of Saudi refugees like himself. He created a website to help Saudi women escape and seek asylum, styling himself as an aggressive critic of the religion.
While his exact motives remain unclear, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens suggested Abdulmohsen “could be dissatisfied with the way in which Saudi Arabian refugees were dealt with in Magdeburg.” Questions swirl as to whether authorities missed warning signs from the troubled man.
Warnings Unheeded?
Most chillingly, Abdulmohsen allegedly made numerous threats on social media, including a post in August warning that “If Germany wants to kill us, we’ll massacre them, die, or go with pride to prison.” He also expressed a wish to kill former Chancellor Angela Merkel for “Islamizing” Europe by welcoming refugees.
Saudi authorities claim they warned their German counterparts multiple times that Abdulmohsen posed a threat, but it remains murky whether these warnings resulted in any concrete action. Now, that question will haunt a grieving city and country.
Innocence Lost
Among the victims of this senseless act of brutality are a nine-year-old girl and dozens with life-threatening injuries. For them and their families, the magic of Christmas will forever be tainted by trauma and loss. As one city official solemnly observed, “Christmas is over in Magdeburg.”
In the coming days and weeks, tough questions will be asked about whether red flags were ignored, security measures were adequate, and more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. But for now, Magdeburg must begin the long, painful process of mourning the lives stolen, supporting the survivors, and somehow finding a way forward from an attack that has shaken the city to its core.
