What's New
The man believed to have killed at least five people after driving into Christmas market shoppers in Germany is a fan of Elon Musk and backs "conspiracy ideologue" Alex Jones, according to German publication Der Spiegel.
A child was believed to be among the dead, and dozens were seriously injured after the man, identified by local press as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is said to have driven into the crowds in Magdeburg. German authorities have identified the 50-year-old Saudi doctor in custody simply as Taleb A.
Der Spiegel and social media users reported that an X account that appeared to be affiliated to the suspect, made comments supporting Musk and Jones, as well as the far-right German party AfD (Alternative for Germany).
Without specifying where it got the information, Der Spiegel also said the suspect was a fan of Elon Musk. "The entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is increasingly openly expressing his sympathies for right-wing parties, was probably one of his role models," said the publication, according to a translation.
The suspect, according to Der Spiegel said: "What Musk says, what Alex Jones says, or anyone who is labeled a radical or a right-wing extremist by mainstream media—they're telling the truth."
Newsweek reached out to Musk via X and Jones via InfoWars for comment.
Why it matters
Germany's centrist political parties are under threat from the far right AfD party. The fact that Taleb A appears to be an anti-Islamist and AfD supporter is significant. The alleged attack occurred on the day that Musk had earlier endorsed AfD as the only party capable of "saving Germany," prompting sharp reactions from across the political spectrum on a day when the country is grieving. There is no suggestion that the attack was connected to Musk's X post.
What we know
As of Saturday morning, there was no confirmed motive for the attack, although for Germans the incident from the night before will spark painful memories from nearly a decade ago.
On December 19, 2016, an Islamist extremist drove a lorry into a Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz, Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 56 others.
Abdulmohsen, who had reportedly arrived in Germany in 2006, allegedly drove his dark BMW into the crowd at around 7 p.m. local time Friday. Images from the scene showed the suspect lying on the pavement before his arrest.
German media outlets reported that as well as the dead, 41 were seriously injured and 86 people were treated with significant injuries in hospital, while 78 people suffered minor injuries. Initial information suggested the attacker was under the influence of drugs, according to police, The Guardian reported.
The Der Spiegel article said the suspect had said in an interview, "if you listen to someone like [British right-wing agitator] Tommy Robinson or even Elon Musk, and even if you're ignorant of the process of Islamization, you'll think they're conspiracy theorists."
"But I can say from experience that anything Robinson says, what Musk says, what Alex Jones says, or anyone who is labeled a radical or a right-wing extremist by mainstream media—they're telling the truth," Der Spiegel reported, citing the suspect.
Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his X account, Reuters reported, citing a Saudi source.
An X account appearing to be affiliated with the suspect contained content condemning Islam. He had described himself as a Saudi dissident, according to an unnamed German official, cited by The Washington Post.
Other social media users noted the suspect's alleged views toward Musk. Shashank Joshi from The Economist posted a message on X that the suspect was "a fan of Elon Musk and his friends Tommy Robinson & the AfD, it turns out."
The journalist Rami Jarrah shared a 2016 post believed to be from the suspect which said "Me and AfD are fighting the same enemy to protect Germany."
Germany's FAZ newspaper said it interviewed the suspect in 2019, describing him as an anti-Islam activist and was quoted as saying, "I am history's most aggressive critic of Islam. If you don't believe me, ask the Arabs."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that "normally a Christmas market is a very peacefully and joyful place" and in describing a "dreadful tragedy" added, "I'd like to express the solidarity of the entire country."
What people are saying
Reporting about the suspect, German publication Der Spiegel said: "The entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is increasingly openly expressing his sympathies for right-wing parties, was probably one of his role models."
German chancellor Olaf Scholz: "I'd like to express the solidarity of the entire country."
Elon Musk posted on X: "Scholz should resign immediately. Incompetent fool."
What happens next
Scholz told a press conference on Saturday that the incident and the alleged perpetrator will be investigated "in great depth."
"We should not allow those who wish to sow hate to do so," he added.
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