A local fire brigade has paid tribute to a nine-year-old who was killed in an attack on a Christmas market in Germany.
Andre Gleissner was killed Friday night when his car plowed into a crowd of shoppers at a market in Magdeburg, the Schepenstedt fire department said.
He was part of a children’s fire brigade in Vale, about an hour’s drive from Magdeburg, the statement said.
Four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75, also died in the attack. Authorities are holding the suspect in pretrial custody on charges of murder, attempted murder, and dangerous bodily harm.
“Our thoughts are with Andre’s relatives and we want to support them during this difficult time,” the fire department said in a statement.
Lower Saxony’s youth fire brigade also paid tribute to the nine-year-old boy.
“We extend our condolences to his family, friends and everyone close to him,” the statement said.
“We stand by them and express our deepest sympathies during this difficult time,” it added.
Friday’s attack left more than 200 people injured, some in critical condition.
The identities of the four women who were also killed are not yet known.
Police said the car crashed into the crowded market through the emergency vehicle access lane at around 19:00 local time (18:00 Japan time) on Friday.
Witnesses said they jumped out of the car’s path and then ran and hid. Unverified social media footage showed the vehicle passing at high speed on the sidewalk between the stalls.
Police said the driver then returned to the road and was forced to stop for traffic, where he was arrested.
About 100 police officers, medical workers and firefighters were at the scene, city officials said.
A 50-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and dangerous bodily harm, police said.
According to local media, the suspect has been identified as Taleb al-Abdelmohsen, a Saudi-born psychiatrist who came to Germany in 2006.
The motive for the attack is unknown, but authorities say they believe the driver acted alone.
German authorities have faced security questions after reports last year that the suspect had been warned that he could pose a threat.
The Saudi foreign ministry said it had warned the German government about al-Abdelmohsen’s extremist views but received no response.
