Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack Death Toll Rises to Six
The death toll from last month’s attack on a Magdeburg Christmas market has risen to six following the death of a 52-year-old woman.
According to the Associated Press, the woman succumbed to her injuries at a hospital on Monday. She was among hundreds injured when a 50-year-old man drove a vehicle into the crowded market on December 20th. The driver was apprehended immediately.
Five people died at the scene; the deceased included a 9-year-old boy and four women aged 45, 52, 67, and 75. Several others were critically injured and hospitalized.
Information released about the attack and the suspect, who remains unnamed, has been limited. Reports indicate he arrived in Germany in 2006 and held permanent residency.
While initially described as a terrorist attack, the Associated Press notes the suspect doesn’t conform to typical extremist profiles.
He reportedly identified as an ex-Muslim, criticized Islam, and expressed support for the far-right online.
“The Magdeburg perpetrator had repeatedly attracted attention by threatening crimes. There were also warnings about him but, according to what is known so far, his political statements were so confused that none of the security authorities’ patterns fitted him,” German Justice Minister Volker Wissing told the Funke newspaper group last month, as reported by The AP.
Following the attack, mourners left tributes including flowers, stuffed animals, candles, and other mementos near the Christmas market to remember the victims.