Police cars and ambulances park next to the annual Christmas market in the city center after a possible terrorist incident on December 20, 2024 in Magdeburg, Germany.
Craig Stennett | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Taleb Abdulmothan 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor Accused of killing four women and a nine-year-old boy Drive into Magdeburg’s Christmas MarketGermany, has been remanded in custody.
Details about the attack and his possible motive emerged as he appeared before a judge on Saturday night.
German Privacy laws prevent authorities from releasing the suspect’s full name, although they identified him as Taleb. Two senior U.S. officials familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News that Abdulmothan was the suspect.
The incident happened on Friday when a black BMW Walking through a crowded market200 people were injured, about 40 of them seriously.
The victims were a 9-year-old boy and four women, aged 52, 45, 67 and 75 years old respectively.
Magdeburg police chief Tom-Oliver Langhans told a news conference that Abdelmosen drove the rental car around security bollards set up to prevent such attacks and passed through a designated emergency vehicle. Gaps into Magdeburg’s crowded Christmas market.
Once inside, Abdulmothan drove at 1,200 feet into the narrow, crowded alley, knocking dozens of people to the ground. Forensic scientists are investigating whether he deliberately disabled the car’s emergency braking system to maximize the impact.
The dramatic arrest was witnessed by shocked onlookers as armed police confronted Abdelmosen near the wrecked vehicle minutes after the attack.
An ambulance is parked next to the annual Christmas market in the city center following a possible terrorist attack on December 20, 2024 in Magdeburg, Germany.
Craig Stennett | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Magdeburg police said an investigation was ongoing and they appealed for witnesses to come forward with photos or videos of the incident.
At a news conference on Saturday night, officials revealed that Abdulmothan was questioned but did not reveal what he said.
Noppens said the motive was still under investigation, but “the background to the act” could be related to “dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany.”
Officials said Friday that Abdelmoson acted alone, which former New York state homeland security adviser Michael Balboni described as “the worst-case scenario for security officials.”
“It all came out of nowhere,” he told MSNBC’s Alex Witt. “You can monitor social media, but in most cases you won’t know when it’s going to happen or what they’re going to do.”
Abdelmussen has expressed anger at German police and Germany, allegedly previously saying, “The country that actively pursues critics of Islam and ruins their lives is Germany.”
He first entered Germany in 2006 and sought asylum in 2016 citing threats from Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a “psychiatrist” at a clinic. The clinic, located in the city of Bernberg, 25 miles south of the attacks, confirmed his employment to NBC News and said he had not been at work since October due to “vacation and illness.”
His online activities include historical and recent inflammatory content on X, and he was accused by a refugee NGO of erratic behavior. He has aligned himself with far-right movements such as Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Asked if the attacker could have been stopped, Noppens said: “We are not focusing on the perpetrators.”
