Berlin: A vehicle plowed into a crowd in the western German city of Mannheim, leaving at least two people dead and several others injured, according to local media reports on Monday. The incident occurred on Planken, the city’s main shopping street, as people gathered for carnival festivities.
Eyewitness accounts, cited by Mannheimer Morgen, described a black SUV speeding through the crowded area, knocking over multiple pedestrians. Law enforcement officials have confirmed the arrest of one suspect, though it remains unclear whether additional individuals were involved.
The vehicle was reportedly traveling from the Paradeplatz square toward the city’s landmark water tower when the attack took place, according to Mannheim24. Authorities have urged residents to stay indoors while emergency services continue rescue operations in the city center.
Although eyewitnesses indicated fatalities at the scene, authorities have yet to provide an official casualty count. Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm confirmed a large-scale response and advised the public to avoid the inner city area.
Rising Security Concerns
This incident follows a series of violent attacks in Germany, including car-ramming incidents in Magdeburg in December and in Munich last month. Additionally, a stabbing in Mannheim in May 2024 heightened security concerns nationwide.
Authorities had been on high alert for this year’s carnival parades after Islamic State-linked social media accounts issued threats targeting events in Cologne and Nuremberg. The Mannheim attack comes just weeks after a similar car-ramming incident in Munich, where a 37-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed. The suspect in that case, Afghan asylum seeker Farhad Noori, remains in custody.
The latest attack underscores growing fears over public safety in Germany amid ongoing threats of extremist violence.
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