The first photo has emerged of nine-year-old boy who was killed when a car ploughed into Christmas shoppers at a German market on Friday evening.
André Gleißner was one of five victims who died in the Magdeburg attack which left more than 200 others injured. Four women, aged between 45 and 75, were also killed when the vehicle rammed into crowds around 7pm.
Saudi doctor Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, has been charged with five counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
In a heartbreaking social media tribute, André’s mother Désirée wrote: “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn’t do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why?”
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“I don’t understand. Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven. They missed you very much, as much as we miss you here now. You will always live in our hearts. I promise you that.”
The attack has shocked Germany, with memorial services being held across the country for the victims.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the city’s cathedral for a memorial service, describing it as a “moving moment of compassion and solidarity for a deeply affected city.”
“The whole of Germany stands in these dark hours with the people of Magdeburg,” Scholz wrote on X.
The suspect, identified by German media as Taleb A, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who moved to Germany in 2006, appeared before a judge on Saturday evening and was remanded in custody. He faces five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said.
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Cathedral bells tolled at precisely 7.04pm local time on Saturday, marking 24 hours since the attack. Football matches across Germany’s Bundesliga also held minutes of silence.
“There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market,” Scholz said while visiting the scene. “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality.”
Authorities warned the death toll could rise as dozens remain in serious condition.
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