At least 5 people have died and over 200 were injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a busy Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg in eastern Germany. Authorities are calling this attack deliberate.
The death toll may rise, as 40 individuals sustained serious injuries.
The driver was arrested at the scene of the incident, which occurred around 7 PM local time when the market was very crowded.
Footage released by the German news agency dpa shows the moment the suspect was apprehended.
The suspect is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who moved to Germany in 2006, reported Tamara Zieschang, the Minister of the Interior for Saxony-Anhalt, at a press conference.
According to her, he had been practicing medicine in Bernburg, approximately 40 kilometers south of Magdeburg.
"At this time, we know that this is a lone attacker, so the city is no longer under threat," said the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff. "Every human life lost as a result of this attack is a terrible tragedy, and even one life is too many."
The brutal incident has shocked the city, bringing its mayor to tears and overshadowing a festive event that is part of a centuries-old German tradition.
This has also prompted authorities in several other German cities to cancel Christmas markets over the weekend as a precautionary measure.
The attack took place in Magdeburg, a city with a population of around 240,000, located west of Berlin and serving as the capital of Saxony-Anhalt.
Eight years ago, an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people and injuring many others. A few days later, he was killed in a shootout in Italy.
Christmas markets are an integral part of German culture and a hallmark of the holiday season.
At the end of last month, Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that there were no specific signs of danger for Christmas markets this year, but vigilance should be maintained.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted on X: "My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by them and the residents of Magdeburg."
The President of the European Commission and the Secretary-General of NATO also expressed their condolences on X.
"My thoughts today are with the victims of the brutal and cowardly attack in Magdeburg. This act of violence must be investigated and punished severely," said Ursula von der Leyen.
"Horrifying scenes from the Christmas market in Magdeburg," wrote NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. "NATO stands with Germany."
Mayor of Magdeburg, Simone Borris, announced that authorities plan to hold a memorial service at the city cathedral on Saturday.