German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised an investigation after a car drove into crowds at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, killing at least five people, including a nine-year-old child
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined the families of the victims and emergency respondents at a memorial service at Magdeburg Cathedral
City officials say the attack has left more than 200 people injured
The suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, holds "Islamophobic" views, according to Germany's interior minister
The incident could prompt new questions about Germany's security architecture, says the BBC's Berlin correspondent, Jessica Parker
Watch: Germany grapples with another Christmas market attack
The director of the Magdeburg police department says they'll keep updating the number of casualties being treated in 15 hospitals.
The news conference has now ended. We'll have a recap of all the key new information for you shortly.
Answering media questions, Magdeburg councillor for public order Ronni Krug says the suspect is thought to have reached the market square via the escape and rescue entrance.
He states, "there were no barricades... simply for ambulances and rescue vehicles to access this area."
These entrances are agreed upon by the police and other safety enforcement agencies. He mentions that this case is something they did not "expect to such a dimension" and "maybe it was also not preventable."
He adds that the safety guidelines will be updated again after the incident.
Police are now informing the news conference that the suspect has undergone "physical and mental" examinations.
"We don't have the results, it's all still being investigated," say the police.
Prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens says they're still working to clarify the motive, but says the suspect may have been disgruntled "with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia and how they've been treated in Germany".
As a reminder, the suspect is originally from Saudi Arabia. He came to Germany in 2006 and was recognised as a refugee in 2016.
As we've been reporting, one of those who was killed is a child.
We now know the child is nine years old, according to officials. The other four who were killed are adults, officials say.
Image source, Getty ImagesProsecutor Horst Walter Nopens is now summarising the investigation.
He says the suspect is currently being interviewed, and court proceedings will follow.
So far, the suspect is set to be prosecuted for five murders and grievous bodily harm. The prosecutor adds that it's only been 24 hours since the attack, and investigations are still ongoing.
We're now hearing more details now about what happened on Friday night in Magdeburg.
A police representative describes how the attacker entered through a gap and drove through the crowd before turning right towards the town hall.
At this point, the attacker sped up and continued driving through the market.
He then took a left turn towards the high street. He turned again and kept driving towards the train station, before being stopped at the junction by police overseeing the safety of the Christmas markets.
This all happened within three minutes, and it seems he was acting alone, the police spokesman adds.
We're now hearing from the police chief of Magdeburg, who says he and his colleagues want to "express our solidarity and heartfelt sympathy".
He adds they will "evaluate and assess the facts in such a way that we will find a solution".
He has also provided more details on how the attack unfolded, saying the first emergency call came in at 19:02 local time (18:02 GMT) on Friday. Initially, they thought it was an accident, but with "double digits" of emergency calls, the "case was opened for the police for an attack."
The police says that security measures for the Christmas market were last updated in November, and security has been increased.
"Police should look into this, I will not speculate on this," the police representative says, adding, "Please remember, safety will always be our focus."
Officials report that over 200 people are currently injured, with the number of fatalities remaining at five. Additionally, 41 people are "critically injured".
However, the representative warns that "it is not excluded that these figures" could increase.
In response to the incident, the city has decided to "end the Christmas market" as "others are still fighting for their life," he says.
"Looking at the number of victims, we cannot maintain the Christmas market."
We're now hearing from local police, representatives from the Magdeburg public prosecution office, and government officials.
They've started the news conference by expressing their "heartfelt gratitude" to emergency services, describing Friday as a "very dark day".
We'll bring you more key points from the news conference shortly.
A memorial service is being held in the Magdeburg cathedral this evening, with space inside reserved for "those affected and their families, emergency and relief workers, and representatives of the federal, state and city governments", the town's officials say on X.
The post adds that "there will not be room for everyone", but people are welcome to gather outside where the event will be broadcast live.
There won't be "any political statements", the post adds.
It includes a quote from Magdeburg's mayor Stieler-Hinz: "Politics is there to create the framework. But today it is about mourning together and finding strength for the future in this shared grief."
We've just received an update from one of the hospitals in Magdeburg that treated many of the injured from yesterday's attack.
The Magdeburg Municipal Hospital's medical director Dr Jörg Franke says 70 people were treated at the hospital after the attack and today, 11 more patients were treated by emergency medical staff.
"Some patients had to undergo emergency surgery, some are now in intensive care,” he says.
"The good news is that all of the eleven seriously injured patients are now out of danger."
Image source, ReutersAs we've been reporting, the suspect arrested yesterday for the attacks is a Saudi doctor.
We now understand that he worked for a specialist clinic in Bernburg, a town 46km (28m) from Magdeburg.
In a statement on Instagram, the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg says it was "shocked to learn that the alleged perpetrator worked as a specialist doctor in our enforcement in Bernburg".
The alleged attacker has been working there as an employed psychiatric specialist since March 2020, but he has not been on duty since October 2024 due to illness and holiday, they add.
"We have been supporting the work of the investigative authorities in every possible way since the late hours," it adds, and that they are "stunned and shocked by the horrific attack". It adds they cannot go into much detail due to the ongoing police investigation.
The head of Germany's police union says security at events in Germany "must be intensified" with more police, barriers and surveillance cameras.
Jochen Kopelke, speaking to the Rheinische Post, says: "The protection of events in Germany must be intensified. With more police presence, access barriers and adapted traffic concepts."
"We need more video surveillance and software support," Kopelke says, adding that "Magdeburg is already showing how dependent we investigators are on videos".
More surveillance cameras and drone technology is also needed in public spaces, he adds.
Image source, ReutersThis morning, we've heard from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with Reiner Haseloff, the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt.
They arrived in the central German city of Magdeburg on Saturday, the morning after a car drove into crowds at the city's Christmas market. A 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist has been arrested following the attack.
Here's the latest:
Image source, ReutersKathleen Schade from Magdeburg describes the attack as "unbelievably sad"
"Unbelievably sad, it's unbelievable," says Magdeburg resident Kathleen Schade.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, she says she feels "shocked. There are no words, no suitable words".
Corinna Pagels was at the markets early yesterday: "I also experienced this chaos, where it first of all was a matter of sorting things out, and that does something to you.
"Many people who were searching. Many tears," she adds, saying support will be needed for the rescue workers involved. "The real work starts now."
Heike Janke says they were there shortly before the incident took place. "Goosebumps. And somehow you can't believe it," she says.
Image source, PA MediaWe now have further details about the suspect, Taleb A.
Germany's interior ministry says he is believed to hold "Islamophobic" views. This follows reports that his social media posts reveal he is an outspoken critic of Islam.
The Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, confirmed on Saturday that the suspect had expressed an "Islamophobic" stance, saying it is "the one thing" she can confirm.
A neighbour of the suspect in Friday night's attacks has described him as a "completely normal" neighbour and citizen during an interview with German public broadcaster MDR.
The neighbour mentioned that the suspect was withdrawn and reserved.
"And now, after more than three years, it has come out that this man has killed several people and injured several people, which makes me very sad personally," they told MDR.
We can now bring you more detailed information about the suspect.
German media has identified the suspect as Taleb A, a psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities have reported that they believe he carried out the attack alone.
Originally from Saudi Arabia, he arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.
Evidenced by social media posts, the suspect is an outspoken critic of Islam, and has promoted conspiracy theories regarding an alleged plot by German authorities to islamicise Europe.
A report from Der Spiegel said a complaint was filed against Taleb A with the authorities a year ago over statements which officials concluded did not constitute a concrete threat.