The suspect accused of injuring more than 30 people in a car ramming attack in Munich, Germany, appears to have been motivated by Islamic extremism, prosecutors revealed Friday.
The 24-year-old Afghan, a self-described bodybuilder and fitness model, was arrested Thursday after he drove his Mini Cooper into the back of a labor union demonstration. The incident unfolded near where world leaders — including Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — were expected to gather for the Munich Security Conference.
Prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann said that the suspect said “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” to police and then prayed after his arrest — which prompted a department that investigates extremism and terror to take on the case immediately.
In questioning, he admitted deliberately driving into the demonstration and “gave an explanation that I would summarize as religious motivation,” Tilmann said, according to the Associated Press. “According to all we know at the moment, I would venture to speak of an Islamist motivation.”
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A car is lifted onto a tow truck at the scene where a driver drove into a labor union demonstration in Munich, Germany, on Thursday Feb. 13. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)
However, there were no indications the suspect was in any Islamic extremist organization, she reportedly added.
Tilmann also announced Friday that the suspect, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker in 2016 and lived in Munich, posted content with religious references — such as “Allah, protect us always” — on social media.
The attack left 36 people injured, and the suspect is now facing 36 counts of attempted murder as well as bodily harm and dangerous interference with road traffic.
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Police investigate the scene of the car ramming attack in Munich, Germany on Thursday. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP)
The deputy head of Bavaria’s state criminal police office, Guido Limmer, said investigators found a chat, apparently with relatives, in which the suspect wrote “perhaps I won’t be there anymore tomorrow,” but so far they have found nothing that points to concrete preparations for the attack or anyone else being involved.
The man had no previous convictions and had a valid residence permit. Tilmann also said there was no indication of mental illness.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier reportedly laid a flower at the attack scene Friday morning, where he condemned “the brutality of this act” and said that it “leaves us stunned.”
Markus Soeder, Prime Minister of Bavaria, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Dieter Reiter, Mayor of Munich, from right, bring flowers on Friday, Feb. 14, to the site of the attack in Munich. (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)
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A spokesperson for the vice president told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Vance and President Zelenskyy will meet on the sidelines of the conference, where the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is likely to be a focus.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
