BERLIN – Investigators working on the deadly car-ramming attack that shook Leipzig’s busy central shopping district last week have released key updates on Tuesday, confirming the incident left two civilians dead and does not appear tied to ideological, political or religious extremism. Authorities have instead highlighted that the 33-year-old German suspect, who was taken into custody on Monday afternoon, recently completed a voluntary inpatient stay at a psychiatric hospital.
According to official accounts, the suspect drove his vehicle hundreds of meters through a crowded pedestrian shopping street before police intervened to stop him and place him under arrest. The confirmed fatalities are a 63-year-old German woman and a 77-year-old German man, while six additional pedestrians sustained injuries in the attack, two of which are categorized as serious.
The suspect currently faces formal charges of murder and attempted murder, with law enforcement confirming they have concluded the ramming was a deliberate act of violence. As of Tuesday, the full motive behind the attack remained under active investigation.
In a joint statement released by police and public prosecutors, officials confirmed there is no current evidence linking the attack to political or religious extremism. The suspect had already come to law enforcement’s attention earlier this year, however, following reports of threats and defamatory offenses committed against other individuals.
On April 17, police responded to a phone call placed by the suspect himself. Following the response, the man agreed to voluntarily admit himself to a specialized psychiatric hospital for treatment focused on his acute psychological condition. He remained in inpatient care until last Wednesday, when he was discharged. Investigators have confirmed the suspect has no prior criminal convictions, and there were no other open legal cases against him leading up to the attack.
German national news agency dpa quoted the Saxony State Ministry of Social Affairs confirming that during his inpatient treatment, the man did not display any behavior that indicated he posed a danger to himself or the general public. Medical officials also determined there was no clinical justification to extend his stay or block his discharge from the facility.