The mother of a nine-year-old boy who was killed when a car ploughed into Christmas shoppers at a German market has paid tribute to her “little teddy bear”.
André Gleißner was one of five victims who died in the Magdeburg attack which left more than 200 others injured. Four women, aged between 45 and 75, were also killed when the vehicle rammed into crowds at around 7pm on Friday evening.
Saudi doctor Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, has been charged with five counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
In a heartbreaking social media tribute, André's mother Désirée wrote: "Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn't do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why?"
"I don't understand. Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven. They missed you very much, as much as we miss you here now. You will always live in our hearts. I promise you that."
André was a member of the children’s fire brigade in the Elm-Asse region west of Magdeburg.
The attack has shocked Germany, with memorial services being held across the country for the victims.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the city's cathedral for a memorial service, describing it as a "moving moment of compassion and solidarity for a deeply affected city."
"The whole of Germany stands in these dark hours with the people of Magdeburg," Scholz wrote on X.
Authorities said 200 people were injured, including 41 in serious condition. They were being treated in multiple hospitals in Magdeburg, which is about 80 miles west of Berlin, and beyond.
The suspect, identified by German media as Taleb A, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who moved to Germany in 2006, appeared before a judge on Saturday evening and was remanded in custody. He faces five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said.
Cathedral bells tolled at precisely 7.04pm local time on Saturday, marking 24 hours since the attack. Football matches across Germany's Bundesliga also held minutes of silence.
"There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market," Scholz said while visiting the scene. "What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality."
Authorities warned the death toll could rise as dozens remain in serious condition.
Investigators are analysing the suspect's computers, mobile devices and other evidence, trying to understand what motivated him to drive his black BMW into a crowd in the eastern German city.
Prosecutors said the motive may have been "dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany."
Intelligence agencies say that increasingly they are seeing attackers with a confusing mix of beliefs and motivations. The head of MI5, Ken McCallum, said in October that "straightforward labels like 'Islamist terrorism' or 'extreme right-wing' don't fully reflect the dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies we see."
