Daijiworld Media Network – Berlin

Berlin, May 5: At least two people were killed and three others seriously injured after a car rammed into pedestrians in a busy shopping area in Leipzig, Germany, on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung described the incident as “a terrible tragedy,” adding that several others also sustained minor injuries in what is being treated as a deliberate act.

Police said the driver, a 33-year-old German citizen from the Leipzig area, was detained at the scene. He is currently under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The motive behind the incident is yet to be established.

According to police chief René Demmler, the vehicle drove from Augustusplatz, a major city square, along Grimmaische Strasse into a central pedestrian shopping zone, striking multiple people before coming to a halt. Authorities confirmed that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster said investigators believe the suspect acted alone. While noting that such incidents are often linked to rage or psychological instability, he refrained from speculating on the specific circumstances in this case.

The driver was arrested inside the vehicle without resistance.

Saxony state Governor Michael Kretschmer expressed condolences to the victims’ families, stating that the act has left the region “speechless” and vowing a thorough and swift investigation.

Images from the scene showed a heavily damaged car with a shattered windshield following the crash, which occurred around 5 pm in the city centre.

Leipzig, located southwest of Berlin, is one of eastern Germany’s largest cities with a population exceeding 630,000.