Car crashes into crowd in Germany again, suspect 'intentionally' attacks

(CLO) Police and prosecutors said at a joint press conference on Monday evening that the driver deliberately drove into a crowd in the city of Mannheim in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The incident left at least two people dead.

The interior minister of Baden-Württemberg state told reporters earlier in the day that the suspect, 40, had been arrested following the incident.

Police and prosecutors later added at a news conference that the suspect, a German man, was being investigated for murder and attempted murder in the attack that injured at least 11 others.

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They said the driver shot himself in the mouth during his arrest and was receiving medical treatment at a hospital. He is currently unavailable for questioning. A senior prosecutor said the man was suffering from psychological problems and investigators were looking into that further.

Law enforcement officials have ruled out a political motive in the attack but said the suspect has a criminal record, including a short prison sentence a decade ago.

The man has also been fined under the country's hate crime laws for a comment he made in 2018 on social media platform Facebook.

The car the suspect used to carry out the attack. Screenshot

Several cities across Germany held parades on Monday to mark the holiday season. Mannheim's main parade was on Sunday. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser canceled her participation in the Cologne parade and was informed of the incident.

The incident happened at Paradeplatz, a large square in the city center, around noon. Police initially reported that one person had died in the incident. But the interior minister of Baden-Württemberg later raised the death toll to two.

Authorities have sent out alerts on the Katwarn app to warn the public in Mannheim to stay away from the city center. The app is used by officials to communicate information about major emergencies.

In recent months, there have been two major attacks involving vehicles plowing into crowds in German cities.

Monday's incident comes just weeks after two people were killed in a car crash in Munich. Prosecutors said the suspect, who came to Germany as an asylum seeker,

In December, a car plowed into a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg, killing six people and injuring 200. The suspect was an Arab doctor.

Hoang Hai (DW, DPA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lai-dam-xe-vao-dam-dong-o-duc-nghi-pham-co-y-tan-cong-va-tu-sat-post336952.html