An attack on a German Christmas market left five dead and dozens injured Friday night. The three-minute attack, committed by a Saudi doctor, horrified visitors celebrating the holidays with one of Germany's best-known winter traditions.
Here's a rundown of the massacre.
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What happened
A man used his S.U.V to drive through an emergency exit and through crowds of people in alleyways touring stalls at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday night. Police later arrested the man and are questioning him.
The event shocked the country, though violence at Christmas markets has happened in the country's past. An Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin eight years ago, killing 13 and injuring many more.
Knives were banned at this Christmas market after an armed man went on a stabbing spree at a market in August. Other security barriers had been erected at the Magdeburg market, including concrete blocks around the alleyways, but police union head Andreas Rosskopf said after the attack that "it is not 100 percent possible to protect such events."
"There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. "What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality."
Police said the perpetrator was acting alone and there wasn't any threat to the greater community.
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Who were the victims
Two hundred people were injured, and at least five people were killed, including one 9-year-old.
Many of the injured are in critical condition. Neurosurgeon Mahmoud Elenbaby told the Associated Press some 80 patients were brought to Magdeburg's university hospital on Friday night.
"We managed to stabilize most of them, but many are still in intensive care, and some are also in critical condition," Elenbaby said.
Residents of the town set flowers in front of a nearby church to mourn those who died Friday night.
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Who is the perpetrator
The man has been called Taleb A. by German media outlets, and is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, specializing in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Reports show he has been a resident of Germany for decades.
A German security official confirmed local news reports that Taleb A. is a former Muslim who often posted anti-Islam sentiments on social media. His accounts criticized the German government for being too soft on radical Islamists and praised Alternative for Germany, an anti-immigration party that was recently endorsed by Elon Musk.
His motive is unknown, but prosecutor Horst Nopens suspects his motive could've been "dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany."
"He has at least talked about the motive," Nopens said. "And we have to clear up how much of that is true."
"We have talked about an attack," he said. "Whether it was a terror attack, we don't know yet."
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How have world leaders responded
Scholz visited the memorial site at St. John's church in Magdeburg and laid a bouquet of flowers.
President Joe Biden lamented the attack in a statement released Saturday.
"The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Germany grieving the terrible attack at a Christmas market yesterday in Magdeburg, Germany," Biden said. "No community -- and no family -- should have to endure such a despicable and dark event, especially just days before a holiday of joy and peace. My team has been in close touch with German officials. We've made it clear that the United States stands ready to offer all available resources and assistance if needed. And while this situation remains under investigation, make no mistake: the United States will always stand with our Allies against violent terror. In the coming days, we will keep all those injured or killed -- and their beloved families -- close in our hearts."
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Friday's attack forced several other Christmas markets in Germany to cancel their events or tighten security. Officials in Cologne banned bringing suitcases and erected more barriers around the market there.
One of the country's top soccer teams, Bayern Munich, observed a minute of silence at a match on Friday evening against Leipzig in solidarity with the victims of the massacre.
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