The quick overview of the incident in Berlin: What is known about the death drive at Breitscheidplatz – and what is not – Berlin
Even one day after the deadly incident in the west of the capital, the dismay is great. Like Chancellor Olaf Scholz before him, Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey classified the event as an “amoktat” and spoke of a “dark day in Berlin’s city history”.
However, the backgrounds are not yet fully clarified, the investigations are ongoing. An overview.
What happened?
On Wednesday morning, at around 10:30 a.m., a man drove a car into a group of people on the sidewalk on Kurfürstendamm near Berlin’s Rankestrasse. He then drove back onto the street, only to drive onto the sidewalk again after about 100 meters. From there he crossed Marburger Straße in his car and shortly afterwards drove into a shop window, where he finally came to a halt.
Fire brigade and police were immediately after the incident with a large contingent am crime scene, the police moved in with 130 emergency services. A rescue helicopter landed on the median of Tauentzienstrasse.
Who are the victims?
A woman was killed in the rampage. She is a 51-year-old teacher from Hesse. She was visiting Berlin with a tenth grader from a secondary school from Bad Arolsen in northern Hesse in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district.
According to the Giffeys, out of 24 students from Bad Arolsen in northern Hesse, seven are currently in the hospital. There were a total of six life-threatening injuries and three serious injuries, the head of government explained on Thursday morning on RBB Inforadio. The Berlin fire brigade also has an unknown number of slightly injured people.
What do we know about the driver?
The driver is a 29-year-old German-Armenian. He was arrested and questioned immediately after the crime. The man is said to be Gor H., who is registered in Charlottenburg. The car – a Renault Clio – is said to belong to his sister, who also lives in Charlottenburg.
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According to the police and witness statements, he is said to have made a confused impression after leaving the car. At the same time, witnesses reported that the driver drove purposefully into the group of people.
After his arrest, he was identified by the federal police at the zoo because he had no papers with him. According to several sources, the driver is said to be known to the police and has been accused of theft.
What is the background of the incident?
Like Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) the previous evening, Giffey emphasized the diffuse picture that currently emerges from the background. The police investigations made it clear “that it was a case of an amok attack by a severely mentally impaired person”. With the help of an interpreter, an attempt is made to “find out more from the sometimes confused statements that he makes”.
The sister of the suspect and owner of the crime vehicle told the “Bild” reporter: “He has serious problems.” Neighbors told the newspaper that they were amazed “that he is capable of such a day”.
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Just a few hours after the incident, security circles had assumed a rampage. A suspicion of terrorism was not confirmed, and the investigators could not identify a political motive. In the afternoon, a police spokeswoman contradicted a media report after a letter of confession was said to have been found in the car. She declined to comment on the driver’s motive.
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Witnesses claim to have seen anti-Turkish posters in the vehicle. Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) confirmed in the afternoon that posters with statements “about Turkey” had been discovered. She did not name any other processors, but also emphasized: “There is no real letter of confession.”
The police investigations are conducted by a homicide commission – not by state security, which would be responsible for a politically motivated crime. As early as Wednesday, special forces had searched the driver’s apartment in Charlottenburg, among other things.
What are the reactions from politics?
In addition to Prime Minister Giffey and Interior Senator Spranger, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (all SPD) also expressed dismay at the death drive. “The horrible shooting on Tauentzienstrasse affects me deeply,” he tweeted: “The trip of a Hessian school class to Berlin ends in a nightmare. We think of the families of the dead and the injured, including many children. I wish you all a speedy recovery.”
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wrote on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon: “I am shocked and deeply affected by the terrible incident in Berlin. My deepest sympathy goes to the families of those who died. I wish everyone who was injured gets well again. I would like to thank the emergency services who are fighting for the lives of the seriously injured.” Accordingly, she is “in constant contact” with Berlin’s Senator for the Interior, Spranger.
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Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also made a statement. “My thoughts are with the seriously and very seriously injured, with the fatality,” he said on Wednesday. “And they are with those who had to experience terrible things. My deepest sympathy goes to them, all their relatives and survivors.”
The Hessian state government was also deeply dismayed. “This shocking news from Berlin leaves me stunned and deeply affected. My thoughts are with the victims, who were full of joy on a class trip in the capital,” said Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU). (with agencies)