German authorities received a warning last year about the suspected perpetrator of a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, a government office revealed on Sunday. The attack left five people dead and over 200 injured. "This was taken seriously, like every other of the numerous tips," the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said on X, referring to the warning it received in the late summer of 2023. The office emphasized that it is not an investigative authority and referred the information to the relevant agencies. The attack occurred on Friday evening in Magdeburg, where a car plowed into a crowd at the Christmas market. Authorities on Sunday confirmed that the victims included four women aged 45, 52, 67, and 75, as well as a 9-year-old boy. In addition to the fatalities, 200 people were injured, 41 of them seriously. They are being treated in multiple hospitals in Magdeburg, approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Berlin, and surrounding areas. Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had obtained permanent residency. On Saturday evening, the suspect was brought before a judge who ordered his detention pending a possible indictment. Though the police have not disclosed the suspect's full identity, German media identified him as Taleb A., a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. The suspect, who described himself as an ex-Muslim, had an active social media presence, frequently sharing anti-Islamic content and expressing support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. — Agencies
