SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In Germany, five people are dead and some 200 people injured after a man drove a car into a Christmas market yesterday in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Authorities have identified this man as a Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for about two decades. They say his motive is unclear. Reporter Rebecca Collard joins us now from Berlin. Rebecca, thanks for being with us.
REBECCA COLLARD: Hi.
SIMON: And begin, please, by telling us some of the details of yesterday's incident.
COLLARD: Yeah, so yesterday's attack took place about 7 p.m. local time. And you can see in the security camera footage that's being run on German media that the incident looks really terrifying. You can imagine, for those that were inside this crowded market when this happened, just how scary this must have been. You can see this car barreling into the market through the crowd, and police say that the car traveled some 400 meters into the market before it was stopped.
The official death toll was increased this morning, and so was the number of people that are in serious condition. The police have also raided the home of the suspect, but really haven't provided more details about him, Scott. You know, we know is that he's a 50-year-old man of Saudi origin, a doctor, that he's been living in Germany since 2006. And we also know that he was living just south of where this attack took place.
Police have also said that this man, they think, acted alone, but despite that, a number of Christmas markets have - and events have been canceled, and security has been increased in a lot of locations across Germany.
SIMON: And nothing determined yet about any possible motive, I gather?
COLLARD: Yeah. You know, there's nothing official about the motive, even though the suspect is in police custody. I will say, you know, yesterday, as this news broke and police said this man was of Saudi origin, immediately, there were comparisons to the Christmas market attack here in Berlin in 2016. And I think that is still, you know, very much etched in the minds of Berliners. You know, then a man drove a truck through a crowded Christmas market, killing 13 people. And that attack, of course, was claimed by the Islamic state. Now, police have not released the suspect's name in this attack, which is normal here. But despite that, there's been an awful lot of speculation online and in the news media as to his identity, but also as to the motive of this attack.
German media are saying that the suspect has actually been sharing anti-Islamic opinions online and even expressing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which is a party that wants to curb immigration, and, you know, some of the AFD, Alternative for Germany, party members have even been accused of racism and Islamophobia in the past.
And then, interestingly, Scott, you know, after visiting the site today, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters that the suspect in this attack, this man of Saudi origin, was clearly Islamophobic. But the minister did not elaborate on his political affiliations. I do think that all of this speculation reflects a very intense political moment in Germany right now. Elections are scheduled for February, and much of the debate here has really focused on both immigration and security.
SIMON: And I gather Chancellor Scholz visited the market earlier today. What did he have to say?
COLLARD: Yeah, I think a lot of the things that you would expect a Chancellor to say in this position. So he talked about solidarity with the victims, solidarity with the city, solidarity with Germans as a whole. And he said, of course, it's important that Germans not be divided by hate, but instead be united. You know, the chancellor said he also had received messages of support from around the world. And he said that an investigation is being carried out and that it is important to understand how this attack happened and also its motivation.
And, you know, Scott, just for a bit of context, Scholz lost a vote of confidence last week, and, as I said, Germans are going to the polls in February. And the future of Chancellor Scholz, his partners, in this now broken political coalition is very uncertain. Scholz arrived at the market with the minister of interior and then the minister of justice, as well as the state premier, who said that there will be a memorial service held this evening.
SIMON: Reporter Rebecca Collard in Berlin. Thanks so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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