A 33-year-old German man accused of deliberately driving a car into a busy pedestrian zone in central Leipzig is scheduled to appear before a magistrate as prosecutors prepare formal charges. Two people died — a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man — and at least three others sustained serious injuries when the vehicle struck pedestrians.
Authorities say the suspect gave himself up without resisting and was taken into custody inside the car shortly after the incident. He has previous contacts with police, but not for offenses related to this case. Prosecutors are expected to press charges that may include murder and attempted murder while investigators continue to probe the suspect’s background and mental state.
Leipzig’s chief public prosecutor, Claudia Laube, said investigators currently regard the incident as a rampage and see no evidence of a political or religious motive, nor of additional perpetrators. Saxony state premier Michael Kretschmer expressed deep shock and sympathy for the victims and their families, saying officials would work rapidly to clarify what happened and that the rule of law would be applied fully.