Leipzig: A car rammed into a crowd in central Leipzig, eastern Germany, late yesterday, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals and injuring more than 20 others. The incident unfolded in a bustling shopping and pedestrian area in the old town of Leipzig shortly before 6:00 PM local time.
According to Thai News Agency, witnesses reported seeing a white Volkswagen SUV speeding through the pedestrian zone, with a woman clinging to the roof before falling off as the vehicle collided with a barrier. The mayor of Leipzig confirmed the fatalities, identifying the victims as a 63-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman, both German nationals. Additionally, three people sustained serious injuries, while around 20 others were treated for minor injuries.
In the aftermath of the incident, both police and bystanders detained the driver, a 33-year-old German man. Preliminary information revealed that he was a resident of the Leipzig area, had a criminal background, and had been released from a psychiatric facility the previous week. Leipzig prosecutors have initiated an investigation on charges of murder and attempted murder. While the motive is still unclear, initial suspicions suggest it may have been a solitary act possibly linked to a personal or family conflict, with no indications of ideological, political, or religious motivations.
This tragic event in Leipzig is part of a troubling pattern of violent incidents in Germany in recent years, where vehicles have been used as weapons. Late last year, a similar attack occurred in Mannheim, where a 40-year-old man drove into pedestrians, resulting in two deaths. A few weeks prior, another incident in Munich saw a driver plow into trade union demonstrators, causing two fatalities and injuring over 40 people.