According to the authorities, the driver who drove his car into a crowd in the center of Leipzig is German. The investigation continues.
Authorities have identified the perpetrator, who drove his car into a crowd of people in the center of Leipzig, Germany, as a 33-year-old German. The incident claimed two lives and three other people suffered serious injuries, confirmed the mayor of the city, Burkhard Jung. TASR informs about it according to the agencies DPA, AP and Reuters.
Police believe the suspect set off from Augustusplatz at the eastern end of Leipzig city center and continued down Grimmaische Street and through the main market square, which includes the Old Town Hall. According to the police, there were at least two serious collisions along the route.
Number of injured unknown
Jung reported that several other people suffered less serious injuries, but did not specify the exact number. “It is unbearable to witness such an act on Monday afternoon,” declared the mayor of Leipzig and thanked the rescuers for their work.
The prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation on suspicion of two cases of murder and at least two cases of attempted murder. No official information about the man’s possible motive has yet been released.
Suspicion of psychological problems
The perpetrator was arrested while he was still sitting in the car, said Leipzig police chief René Demmler. He offered no resistance.
The prime minister of the state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, said that the suspect probably suffered from psychological problems. Investigators believe he acted alone, Saxon Interior Minister Armin Schuster added. According to the police, he is a German native from the vicinity of Leipzig.
Photos from the scene show a car with a damaged front end and a broken windshield. The radio station Radio Leipzig reported earlier that a damaged Volkswagen car drove through the pedestrian zone in the center of Leipzig.
