A car ramming incident occurred in Mannheim, a city in southwestern Germany, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries. Police have apprehended a suspect and are currently investigating the case, seeking to determine the motive behind the act.
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03-04, 2025Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl revealed to the German Press Agency that the suspect is a 40-year-old German national from Rhineland-Palatinate, who is currently in custody and receiving treatment in a hospital. Police stated several hours after the incident on Monday afternoon (Monday evening Australian Eastern Time) that it cannot yet be confirmed whether there was a second perpetrator, but there is no danger to the public. The investigation is ongoing to uncover all the facts.
Germany has experienced several violent incidents in recent months involving cars being used as deadly weapons, but police have not immediately classified this incident as an attack. Police spokesman Stefan Wilhelm stated that the incident occurred at noon (10 pm Australian Eastern Time), during lunchtime, when a driver drove into a crowd of people on Paradeplatz, a pedestrian street in the city center. The authorities are carefully examining the circumstances to understand the driver's intentions.
According to local media reports, the incident occurred during a carnival market, resulting in a higher number of tourists than usual in Mannheim (population 326,000). The Mannheim University Hospital stated that they are treating three injured individuals from the incident, including two adults and one child. It is currently unclear whether other hospitals have also received injured individuals, and medical personnel are working tirelessly to provide care.
Images from the scene show that parts of the city center have been cordoned off, with a large police presence deployed. Police are gathered around a severely damaged black car. Friedrich Merz, a potential future German Chancellor, posted on social media X, stating, "This incident – and other terrible incidents in recent months – are a stark reminder that we must do everything possible to prevent such events from happening again." Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also posted on X, stating, "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this senseless act of violence." These statements underscore the gravity of the situation and the need for preventative measures.
Last month, in an attack in Munich where a car rammed a labor organization demonstration, a two-year-old girl and her mother tragically died two days after being injured. A 24-year-old Afghan man was arrested immediately after the attack, and prosecutors stated that he appeared to have Islamic extremist motives. Last year, in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, a car rammed a Christmas market, resulting in 6 deaths and over 200 injuries. The suspect was a 50-year-old doctor, originally from Saudi Arabia, who had expressed anti-Muslim views and supported the far-right anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany. These past events highlight a disturbing trend and raise concerns about public safety.
