Two weeks after the Magdeburg Christmas market attack, the official death toll has been revised upward. According to the Interior Ministry, 299 people were injured in the attack, a significant increase from the previously reported 235. The additional victims had not been accounted for earlier as they had only recently come forward or were later identified.
Twelve of the newly counted victims hold non-German or dual citizenship, the ministry said. The number of fatalities, five, remains unchanged.
The Federal Commissioner for Victims, Roland Weber, estimates a total of 531 victims, including not only the dead and injured but also family members and traumatized witnesses. “All those who consider themselves affected, including those who were psychologically harmed, those who simply don’t feel well” are included in the count, Weber said, adding that even those who suffered economic losses would be considered victims.
On the fourth of Advent in 2024, a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian man drove a car into the Magdeburg Christmas market, killing five and injuring many more. He was arrested and has been in custody since. A psychological evaluation is now being conducted to determine the extent to which the suspect, who had already been flagged by authorities for previous violent outbursts, was mentally ill at the time of the attack.
Taleb Al Abdulmohsen had a history of erratic behavior, was known to authorities, and had been convicted of threatening violence multiple times. His online presence and profession had already raised red flags, leading many to suspect official failure to act.