On Monday, a vehicle drove into a pedestrian zone in Mannheim, southwestern Germany, killing two people and injuring 11 others, according to the dpa.
Mannheim, a university city with a population of about 300,000, is located approximately 70 kilometers south of Frankfurt. About 30 minutes after the incident, law enforcement apprehended a 40-year-old German man from near Ludwigshafen.
The attack occurred in a pedestrian zone near Paradeplatz, a central square in Mannheim. The area was bustling with carnival activities, including various stalls and amusement rides for the festive season.
A local coffee shop owner told Der Spiegel, “A dark-colored Ford vehicle sped by with a damaged front bumper.” Police confirmed that an 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man died, while 11 others were injured, including five with serious injuries.
The suspect was also injured and is receiving medical treatment. Local media reported that during his arrest, he had a blank-firing pistol in his mouth. Investigators found signs of mental illness but ruled out political motives for the attack.
By evening, police had closed roads leading to the city center and advised the public to avoid the downtown area.
In response, authorities in Mannheim and nearby Heidelberg and Schwetzingen canceled remaining carnival events, including parades. This decision followed warnings from the extremist group Islamic State (IS), which had previously circulated posters inciting attacks during carnival celebrations in German cities such as Cologne and Nuremberg.
Germany has experienced similar incidents in recent months. Last December, a Saudi Arabian immigrant drove a vehicle into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six people and injuring hundreds. In a separate incident last month, an Afghan refugee drove into a union rally in Munich, killing a mother and daughter and wounding over 30 others.
In May last year, Mannheim was also the site of a violent incident when an Afghan immigrant fatally stabbed a police officer while attacking anti-Islam activists in a city square.