Two people have died and more than 20 others were injured after a car drove into a crowd in the German city of Leipzig on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
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Police said the suspect, a 33-year-old German man, was arrested shortly after the incident. Officials said the motive remains unclear.
The car struck pedestrians in the busy central area of Grimmaische Straße after crossing Augustusplatz, according to police. The vehicle then continued along the street before coming to a stop.
Local officials said the incident is being treated as a violent rampage carried out by a lone attacker.
Victims and injuries
Leipzig’s fire chief Axel Shuh said 22 people were injured in the incident, two of them seriously.
Prosecutors later confirmed that two people were killed — a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, both German citizens.
Authorities said the suspect is being investigated on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
The head of the eastern German state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, said the man had previously suffered from mental illness. Officials said there is currently no indication that the attack was motivated by religion or politics.
How the incident unfolded
Police spokesperson Susanne Luebcke said the incident began shortly after 17:35 local time.
“A person drove a vehicle across Augustusplatz into Grimmaische Street, continuing past the market,” she said, adding that several people were struck.
“We unfortunately also have to report two fatalities.”
Authorities said they believe the suspect acted alone and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Eyewitness accounts
Witnesses described scenes of panic as the vehicle drove through the crowded street.
One woman, identified as Susi, told Radio Leipzig she had been sitting on a bench with a friend on Grimmaische Straße when they heard a loud crash.
She said the car appeared to be travelling at high speed. The two women ran into a nearby jewellery shop for safety.
When they later emerged, she said several injured people were lying on the ground.
Another witness said the vehicle eventually stopped after hitting bollards. According to the account, bystanders rushed to help the injured while others attempted to restrain the driver.
The witness said around 15 people surrounded the car and tried to pull the man out through an open window. The driver reportedly attempted to escape through the passenger side before police arrived and restrained him using cable ties.
Recent attacks involving vehicles
Germany has experienced several incidents in recent years in which vehicles were used to target crowds.
In December 2024, at least six people were killed and more than 300 injured in a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.
In February last year, a driver ploughed into a crowd in Munich, injuring at least 30 people more than a week before the country’s federal elections.
Investigations into Monday’s attack in Leipzig are continuing.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 5 May 2026
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