Who Is Reported German Christmas Market Attack Suspect? What We Know

What's New

A Saudi Arabian national was reportedly arrested on Friday after allegedly driving a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least two people and injuring over 50 others.

The Context

German newspaper Die Welt reported that a rental car was used to injure or kill between 60 and 80 people at the market, while police had not "ruled out" that an explosive device might have also been used in the apparent attack. The suspect was reportedly born in Saudi Arabia in 1974.

"Officials are saying now that the driver is Saudi," CNN's Jake Tapper said during a broadcast on Friday night. "He is a doctor and has been in Germany since 2006."

While a motive is not yet clear, the nature of Friday's incident and the national origin of the suspect quickly prompted speculation that the incident might have been an Islamist terror attack.

At least 13 people were killed and dozens more injured on December 19, 2016, during a similar incident at a Christmas market in Berlin. The person believed to be responsible, an ISIS-linked extremist, was killed in a shootout days later in Italy.

Emergency teams at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20 following a possible terror incident. At least one person is dead and dozens injured after a car drove into the crowded market. Craig Stennett/Getty Images

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.