In Magdeburg, a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market.

On December 20, a black BMW drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. According to Reuters, over 200 people were injured, with 40 of them seriously hurt. Initially, there were reports of two fatalities. By Saturday morning, the death toll had risen to five, including a child.

Preliminary reports suggest that the incident was intentional, with a Saudi Arabian national behind the wheel. He was promptly apprehended, and his motives remain unknown.

The suspect is identified as 50-year-old psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, who worked in a neighboring city. He arrived in Germany in 2006 as a guest physician to obtain qualifications in psychotherapy and later sought asylum due to threats against his life for departing from Islam. The man holds political refugee status, according to the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed condolences to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier regarding the victims and those affected by the tragedy in Magdeburg.

“Our head of state conveyed sincere sympathy and support to the families of the deceased, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,” the statement read.

The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, described the event as a “catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg, for the entire country.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared “the solidarity of all Germany” with the residents of Magdeburg and thanked emergency service personnel.

“Of course, we must now thoroughly understand the perpetrator, his actions, and motives, in order to respond with the necessary legal measures,” Scholz is quoted by DW. He reminded that the attack occurred “almost on the anniversary” of the terrorist attack at the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin on December 19, 2016.

“As a country, we must remain united,” urged the Chancellor of Germany. “We must not allow hatred to define our relationships with one another. We are a society that strives for a common future. We cannot give way to those who wish to sow hatred. But we must also not leave criminals unpunished. We must act with the full severity of the law to protect our unity and shared future.”