André Gleissner was killed in the attack on a Christmas market in the central German city of Magdeburg.
Photo: Facebook
The mother of a young boy killed in the Christmas market attack in Germany has paid tribute to her 9-year-old son.
André Gleissner was one of five people killed in an attack in the central city of Magdeburg ( ) on Friday evening.
The four others who died were women aged 52, 45, 75 and 67, a police statement said.
Among the dozens injured, about 40 had serious or critical injuries, Reuters reported.
A social media post attributed to André’s mother said he would “always live in our hearts”.
Désirée Gleissner paid tribute to her “little teddy bear” on Facebook, saying she did not understand why he had died.
“Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn’t do anything to anyone, he was only with us on earth for 9 years… I don’t understand it.
“You will always live on in our hearts… I promise.”
A sea of flowers stretched out at the site of the attack in Magdeburg.
Photo: AFP
Police said on Sunday that the man is suspected of plowing a car through the crowds at the market is facing multiple murder charges and attempted murder.
The suspect is a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric who has lived in Germany for almost two decades, Reuters reported. The motive for the attack remained unclear.
There were clashes and some “minor disturbances” during a far-right demonstration attended by about 2,100 people in Magdeburg on Saturday evening, police said. They added that criminal proceedings would follow, but gave no details.
Protesters, some wearing black balaclavas, held up a large banner with the word “remigration,” a term popular with supporters of the far right who seek the mass deportation of immigrants and people considered not ethnically German.
Other residents gathered to pay their respects to the dead.
A sea of flowers stretched in front of St. John’s Church in Magdeburg, near the scene of the crime, which drew a steady stream of tearful mourners over the weekend.
“This is the second time I have been here. I was here yesterday. I brought flowers and it moved me so much, I had to know today how many flowers had been brought,” local resident Ingolf Klinzmann told Reuters.
A sign commemorating the victims read the word “Why?” in large letters.
– RNZ/Reuters