Leipzig: 2 killed after car drives into crowd

At least two people were killed after a car drove through a crowd in the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.

Around 20 other people were hurt, including three who were seriously injured.

Police said the suspect was a 33-year-old German male who was apprehended inside the vehicle after it came to a stop.

"The driver has been arrested; there is currently no further danger from him," they said. 

Car hits pedestrians in central Leipzig, Germany

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What do we know about the incident?

The incident occurred close to St Nicholas Church and the University of Leipzig in the city center.

Police blocked off Grimmaische Street, a shopping street that connects these landmarks with Leipzig's market square.

German tabloid Bild reported that the vehicle, a VW Taigo, had been traveling at a high speed.

Ambulances, police cars, fire engines and an emergency helicopter were seen responding at the scene.

Police from the state of Saxony said the driver had been detained.

Prosecutors have opened a case on suspicion of two counts of murder and at least two counts of attempted murder.

Emergency services have set up a support center at the nearby Gewandhaus concert hall and have encouraged eyewitnesses to come forward. Some shops and restaurants in the area have closed.

Mayor decries 'shocking' car crash

Leipzig's Mayor Burkhard Jung confirmed the preliminary death toll and said the nearby area had been secured.

"It's shocking. All I can do right now is express my solidarity with the victims' families," Jung told reporters at the scene.

"Everything else will have to be determined by the work of the police and investigative authorities."

Saxony's state premier Michael Kretschmer also condemned what he referred to as the "suspected rampage."

"This shakes me to the core," he said in a post on X.

"An act like this leaves us speechless — and it leaves us resolute. We will spare no effort to investigate this matter swiftly and thoroughly. The rule of law will act with full force."

Car rammings put Germany on alert

Police have not said whether the incident in Leipzig was deliberate or not.

But it comes amid heightened sensitivities in Germany after a spate of car ramming attacks in recent years.

In 2016, 13 people were killed after a man drove a truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin.

In 2024, 6 people were killed after a man drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.

And last year, a mother and daughter were killed while around 30 others were injured after a man drove a car into a crowd at a trade union protest in Munich. That same year, two people were killed when a car was driven into pedestrians in Mannheim.

Edited by: Alex Berry