A car rammed into a crowd in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people, including children, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred near downtown Munich around 10:30 am and is being investigated as a deliberate attack.
Police arrested the suspect, identified as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker, and confirmed that he no longer posed a threat. At the time of the crash, a demonstration organized by the service workers' union ver.di was taking place, though it remained unclear if any demonstrators were among the injured.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter expressed shock over the incident, stating he was "deeply disturbed" and confirming that children were among those hurt. Bavarian Governor Markus Söder suggested that the attack appeared to be intentional.
Earlier, German newspaper Bild, citing official sources, reported that at least 15 people sustained injuries.
The incident comes just a day before the high-profile Munich Security Conference, which will bring international leaders to the city, including US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Security is expected to remain tight in the coming days as Germany prepares for parliamentary elections on February 23.
Notably, the attack follows a deadly incident less than two months ago at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, where six people, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed. The suspect in that case, 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, was arrested at the scene.
