Munich car attack latest: Afghan asylum-seeker arrested after Mini rams crowd

Today’s case follows a series of attacks involving immigrants that have pushed migration to the forefront of the campaign for Germany’s February 23 election.

Three weeks ago, a two-year-old boy and a man were killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg in which an Afghan national was named a suspect.

In the December Christmas market car ramming in Magdeburg, the suspect was a Saudi doctor who previously had come to various regional authorities’ attention.

Curbing migration is a core issue for the far-right Alternative for Germany, which polls put in second place behind the conservatives.

Speaking after today’s incident, Bavarian governor Markus Soder told reporters: “This is more evidence that we can’t go from attack to attack and show dismay, thank police for their deployment.

“We actually have to change something. This is not the first such act; so, we feel with the people today, but at the same time we are determined that something much change in Germany, and quickly.”

As we’re reported, police in Germany say an Afghan asylum seeker was arrested after the car rammed into the crowd.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said the suspect in the case cannot hope for leniency.

“This perpetrator cannot hope for any leniency. He must be punished and he must leave the country,” he said.

“If it was an attack, we must take consistent action against possible perpetrators with all means of justice.”

Three weeks ago, a two-year-old boy and a man were killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, also in Bavaria.

An Afghan whose asylum application was rejected was the suspect in that attack, which propelled migration to the centre of the German election campaign.

The Aschaffenburg attack followed knife attacks in Mannheim and in Solingen last year in which the suspects were immigrants from Afghanistan and Syria, respectively – in the latter case, also a rejected asylum-seeker who was supposed to have left the country.

In the December Christmas market car ramming in Magdeburg, the suspect was a Saudi doctor who previously had come to various regional authorities’ attention.

Germany’s main opposition conservative bloc has demanded a tougher approach to irregular migration, calling for many more people to be turned back at the country’s borders and for an increase in deportations.

Curbing migration is also a core issue for the far-right Alternative for Germany.

We’re now hearing more on the suspect, who deputy police chief Christian Huber earlier described as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.

Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann has now said the suspect was known to the police.

“As things stand, the perpetrator has been caught with drugs and shoplifting, and further details are being investigated,” he said.

Mr Herrmann does not believe there is a connection with the Munich Security Conference, which takes place on Friday and will see US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky attend.

Mr Herrmann said: “The police’s rapid intervention certainly prevented further danger and injuries from occurring.

“The exact circumstances are still the subject of investigations.”

Bavaria’s State Minister Georg Eisenreich said the Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism was conducting the investigation.

Police in Munich have released information on the suspect and its response to the incident this morning.

In a run of posts on X, it said: “The suspect is a 24-year-old man of Afghan nationality.

“He drove a car into a gathering in the Seidlstrasse area from behind. According to current information, 28 people were injured, some seriously.

“During the arrest we fired a shot at the vehicle.”

At the press conference earlier, more detail was given on the suspect driver of the vehicle that hit the crowd.

Authorities said it was believed to be an attack, and the suspect — an Afghan asylum-seeker — was arrested.

Officers arrested the suspect after firing a shot at the car, deputy police chief Christian Huber said. He added that at least 28 people were believed to be injured, some of them seriously.

A damaged Mini could be seen at the scene.

The suspect was a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, Huber said

.”It is suspected to be an attack — a lot points to that,” Bavarian governor Markus Soder also told reporters at the scene.

Just 30minutes ago, Bavarian governor Markus Söder addressed reporters on the incident.

He said it was being treated as a suspected attack.

Mr Söder said: “It’s just terrible. It’s just terrible, ladies and gentlemen, when you get this news: that a car has driven into a crowd of people, that there are many injured. It’s a slap in the face. We sympathise with the victims, we pray for the victims. We really hope that they all make it.

“There are those that are severely injured and are wrestling with everything, perhaps even with death, to get through this and recover as soon as possible.

“We thank the police for acting swiftly and decisively.”

As we’ve been reporting, the vehicle hit a crowd of people at rally organised by trade union Verdi.

We’ve just had a statement from the union’s chairman Frank Werneke.

He said: “We are deeply dismayed and shocked by the serious incident during a peaceful demonstration by ver.di colleagues.

“Our thoughts are with the innocent victims and injured as well as their families. It is not yet clear whether there are any fatalities. We would like to thank all of the helpers for their commitment.

“This is a difficult moment for all colleagues. We unions stand for solidarity, especially in such a dark hour.

“At the moment we do not have any reliable information about the background to the incident. We are not taking part in speculation and are waiting for the police to investigate.”

Local media are reporting on eyewitness accounts of what happened when the vehicle drove into the crowd of people in Munich.

Udo Kunte told Merkur, a local newspaper: “Suddenly there was an engine roar behind us, wheels spinning and then there was just a clattering.”

A spokesperson for the Verdi trade union, which organised a rally where the crash took place, told Spiegel news magazine: “The car drove into the Verdi demonstration.

“Whether it was intentional or an accident, we don’t know.”

We’re now receiving images from the scene showing police inspecting a white Mini Cooper at the scene.

The road in downtown Munich is cordoned off with the vehicle appearing to be the focus of attention.

A dog is also being used as part of the investigation.