A local fire department has paid tribute to a 9-year-old child killed in an attack on a Christmas market in Germany.
According to the Schöppenstedt fire department, André Gleißner died after a car crashed into a crowd of shoppers at a market in Magdeburg on Friday night.
In a statement, they said he was a member of the children’s fire brigade in Warle, about an hour’s drive from Magdeburg.
Four women aged 45, 52, 67 and 75 were also killed in the attack. Authorities are Detain a suspect before trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and causing dangerous bodily harm.
“Our thoughts are with André’s relatives, whom we also want to support during this difficult time,” the fire department statement said.
The Lower Saxony Youth Fire Brigade also paid tribute to the nine-year-old boy.
“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all those close to him,” the statement read.
“We stand by them during these difficult times and express our deepest sympathies,” it added.
Friday’s attack left more than 200 people injured, some remaining in critical condition.
The four women who also died have not been identified.
The car drove into the crowded market through the emergency vehicle lane at around 7:00 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday, police said.
Witnesses described jumping out of the car’s path, running away or hiding. Unverified footage on social media shows the car speeding through a pedestrian walkway between stalls.
Police said the driver then returned to the road and was forced to stop and was arrested.
According to city officials, about 100 police, medics and firefighters were at the scene.
Police said a 50-year-old man was detained on suspicion of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and causing dangerous bodily harm.
Local media identified the suspect as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a psychiatrist originally from Saudi Arabia who came to Germany in 2006.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear but authorities said they believe the driver acted alone.
German authorities are facing security questions after reports last year that they were warned that the suspect posed a threat.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it warned the German government about al-Abdulmohsen’s extremist views but received no response.
