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A car was driven into a crowd in the eastern German city of Leipzig on Monday afternoon, killing two people and injuring 22 others, two of them seriously.
Leipzig police spokesperson Susanne Luebcke said that at approximately 5:35 PM local time (3:35 PM GMT), a suspect drove a vehicle across Augustusplatz into Grimmaische Street, continuing past the market square and striking multiple pedestrians. Leipzig fire chief Axel Shuh confirmed that 22 people were injured in the incident, with two in serious condition.
Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung confirmed that a 33-year-old German citizen has been arrested. Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer said the suspect had a history of mental illness.
The Leipzig public prosecutor’s office confirmed the deceased were a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, both German nationals. The prosecutor is investigating the suspect for murder and attempted murder, stating there is currently no basis to suggest a religious or political motive.
Police described the incident as a lone-perpetrator violent rampage, with no current indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.
One eyewitness, identified only as Susi, told Radio Leipzig that she and a friend were sitting on a bench on Grimmaische Street when they heard a loud bang and saw the vehicle speeding through the area. They took refuge in a nearby jewelry shop and emerged to find injured people lying on the ground.
Another witness said the car came to a halt at bollards and a woman fell from its roof. Approximately 15 bystanders surrounded the vehicle attempting to pull the driver out through an open window. The suspect tried to escape through a passenger-side window before police arrived and restrained him with cable ties.
Germany has experienced a series of vehicle ramming attacks in recent years. In December 2024, at least six people were killed and over 300 injured in a Christmas market attack in Magdeburg. In February 2025, at least 30 people were injured when a car was driven into a crowd in Munich, just over a week before federal elections.
Source: BBC News