Tributes to nine-year-old killed in Christmas market attack

A commemoration ceremony was held for the nine-year-old boy who died in the attack on the Christmas market in Germany.

André Gleißner died when a car crashed into a crowd of shoppers at a market in Magdeburg on Friday evening, the local fire brigade said.

A social media post attributed to his mother said André was “my little teddy bear” and that he “will always live in our hearts.”

Four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75, also lost their lives in the attack. Authorities are holding a suspect in pre-trial detention on charges of murder, attempted murder and causing dangerous bodily harm.

Another tribute came from the fire brigade in nearby Schöppenstedt.

The statement said André was a member of the children’s fire department in Warle, about an hour’s drive from Magdeburg.

“Our thoughts are with André’s relatives, whom we want to support during this difficult time,” the statement said.

The Lower Saxony youth fire brigade also paid tribute to the nine-year-old boy.

“We offer our condolences to his family, friends and everyone close to him,” the statement said.

“We stand with them in these difficult times and express our deepest sympathy,” he added.

More than 200 people were injured in Friday’s attack, some in critical condition.

The identities of the four women killed have not yet been determined.

Police said the vehicle drove into the crowded market using the emergency vehicle access lane around 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday.

Witnesses described him jumping out of the way of the car, running away or hiding. Unverified social media footage shows the vehicle speeding across the pedestrian crossing between the stalls.

The driver then returned to the road and was forced to make a traffic stop, where he was arrested, police said.

According to the statement of municipal officials, nearly 100 police officers, paramedics and firefighters attended the scene.

Police said a 50-year-old man was detained on suspicion of five murders, multiple attempted murders and inflicting dangerous bodily harm.

Local media stated that the suspect was Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi-born psychiatrist who came to Germany in 2006.

The motive for the attack remains unclear, but authorities say they believe the driver acted alone.

German authorities are facing questions about security after reports last year that they were warned the suspect could pose a threat.

The Saudi foreign ministry said it warned the German government about Abdulmuhsen’s extremist views but received no response.