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German Christmas market attack suspect arrested in dramatic video — as witnesses describe horror that killed 5, injured hundreds
The video was captured at an intersection from inside a car just inches away from the damaged vehicle that al-Abdulmohsen is suspected of driving through the Christmas market blocks away.
nypost.com
German Christmas market attack suspect arrested in dramatic video — as witnesses describe horror that killed 5, injured hundreds
By
Nicholas McEntyre
Published Dec. 21, 2024, 7:40 a.m. ET
Dramatic footage captured the moment German police arrested an anti-Islam activist who allegedly plowed his car through a packed Christmas market Friday night, killing 5 and injuring more than 200 others.
One officer was seen aiming his gun at the suspect — identified as a Saudi doctor named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen – and shouting commands as the unarmed driver crouched behind his wrecked BMW amid the carnage in Magdeburg.
The two exchanged words before al-Abdulmohsen laid face down on the street, putting his hands behind his back, according to the 50-second clip obtained by the AP.
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12 A German police officer aims his gun at the driver suspected of driving his car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg on Dec. 20, 2024. TNN/DPA via AP
12 Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was arrested in the deadly Christmas market attack. TNN/DPA via AP
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The video was captured at an intersection from inside a car just inches away from the damaged vehicle that al-Abdulmohsen is suspected of driving through the Christmas market blocks away.
One bystander helped the lone officer when he flagged down a pair of emergency vehicles racing down the street.
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Officers jumped out of the van and hopped a railing dividing the road lanes as a dozen other cops rushed the scene to detain the suspected attacker.
12 Taleb al-Abdulmohsen seen in a video interview he did with RAIR Foundation on Dec. 12. RAIRFoundationUSA/Rumble
Al-Abdulmohsen – identified from a report by The Guardian – had fled to Germany as a Saudi Arabian refugee in 2006 and gained official refugee status in 2016.
The 50-year-old left his home country due to its Islamic government and settled in Bernburg, roughly 28 miles southeast of Magdeburg.
He has worked in the German city as a doctor and psychotherapist since receiving his permanent status, according to the Wall Street Journal.
12 The officer and al-Abdulmohsen exchanged words before he laid face down on the street. TNN/DPA via AP
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12 The video was captured at an intersection from inside a car just inches away from the damaged vehicle that al-Abdulmohsen is suspected of driving. TNN/DPA via AP
Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing sources.
Al-Abdulmohsen’s attack began at around 7:04 p.m. when he drove the car between the gap of two safety bollards and raced down one of the lanes of the packed market.
Surveillance footage of the attack captured the car speeding through the alley, leaving behind a trail of devastation as injured victims laid on the ground with others panicking and running off as others stayed behind and tended to the hurt.
12 A car plows through the crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany on Dec. 20, 2024.
An adult and toddler were among the known killed, but officials couldn’t rule out the possibility of more deaths.
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Forty-one people were critically injured, 86 were receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries and another 78 sustained minor injuries.
Horrified witnesses tragically recalled the moment al-Abdulmohsen allegedly crashed his vehicle into the crowd of festive marketgoers.
12 The suspect’s damaged BMW sits behind police after the driver was arrested by police blocks away from the attack site. REUTERS
12 Emergency crews walk the market after the incident early on Dec. 21, 2024. FILIP SINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“There was a dead man lying next to me the whole time. I had a man in my arms who had an open fracture and his foot was hanging to the side,” one woman recalled to German Newspaper Bild.
The shopper, who was not identified, says she also watched a child be revived.
One woman, identified only as 32-year-old Nadine, was arm in arm with her boyfriend when the deadly attack happened, sweeping her partner away from her.
12 Officers jumped out of the van and hopped a railing dividing the road lanes as a dozen other cops rushed the scene to detain the suspected attacker. AP
12 Taleb al-Abdulmohsen’s alleged attack began at around 7:04 p.m. when he drove the car between the gap of two safety bollards and raced down one of the lanes of the packed market. AP
“He was hit and pulled away from my side. It was terrible,” Nadine told the outlet, adding her boyfriend suffered injuries to his legs and head.
Another witness said the streets around the market were flooded with first responders as medics, police and firefighters rushed into the scene to help the victims.
“This was a real chaotic situation. We saw blood on the floor, we saw people sitting beside each other and having golden and silver foils around them. And we saw many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries,” MDR reporter Lars Frohmüller told the BBC.
12 Several ambulances are stationed inside a cordoned-off area where the attack happened. dts News Agency Germany/Shutterstock
12 Ambulance crews transport equipment and stretchers away from the market in the Magdeburg city center after the attack. Getty Images
“It’s a big shock. It’s a big shock for every people here in Magdeburg and for every person in Saxony-Anhalt,” he added.
No motive or charges were revealed Saturday morning.
