Tributes have been paid to a nine-year-old boy who was killed in an attack on a German Christmas market.
Authorities are holding a suspect in pre-trial detention on counts of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm.
The suspect has been identified in local media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi-born psychiatrist who arrived in Germany in 2006.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear but authorities say they believe the driver acted alone.
German authorities are facing questions about security after reports they were warned last year that the suspect could pose a threat.
Following an attack on a German Christmas market, a nine-year-old boy has received tributes.
According to the local fire department, André Gleissner lost his life on Friday night when a car crashed into a group of people at the Magdeburg market.
He would “always live in our hearts” and be referred to as “my little teddy bear” in a social media post purportedly sent by André’s mother.
In the attack, four women—ages 45, 52, 67, and 75—also perished. On charges of murder, attempted murder, and dangerous bodily harm, authorities are detaining a suspect pending trial.
The fire department in the neighboring town of Schöppenstedt paid another homage.
According to a statement, André was a member of the Warle children’s fire department, which is approximately an hour’s drive from Magdeburg.
Children who are interested in firefighting and are between the ages of six and twelve are welcome to join the Children’s Fire Brigade.
As stated in the statement, “We also want to support André’s relatives during this difficult time.”.
The nine-year-old was also honored by the Lower Saxony youth fire department.
In a statement, it expressed its condolences to his family, friends, and all those who were close to him.
“We offer our sincere condolences and stand by their side during these trying times,” it continued.
More than €60,000 (£49,900) has been donated to an online fundraiser that was purportedly established to raise money for André’s family.
There were at least 200 people hurt in Friday’s attack, some of whom were critically injured.
The identities of the four women who were also slain remain unknown.
At approximately 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday, the vehicle crashed into the crowded market through an emergency vehicle access lane, according to the police.
Witnesses reported hiding, running away, or leaping out of the car’s path. The car was seen speeding through a pedestrian walkway between stalls in unverified social media footage.
The driver reportedly went back on the road, stopped in traffic, and was taken into custody, according to the police.
City officials estimate that about 100 police, ambulances, and firefighters responded to the scene.
A 50-year-old man has been placed under remand in custody on suspicion of five murders, numerous attempted murders, and dangerous bodily harm, according to the police.
According to the local media, the suspect is Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a psychiatrist who came to Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia.
Authorities say they think the driver acted alone, but the motive for the attack is still unknown.
Following reports that they were alerted last year that the suspect might be dangerous, German authorities are being questioned about security.
Despite warning the German government about al-Abdulmohsen’s extremist views, the Saudi foreign ministry claimed it got no response.
