A man suspected of driving a car into a crowd in Leipzig, killing two people, had recently undergone treatment in a psychiatric clinic, German authorities said on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old German national allegedly carried out the attack on Monday, speeding down a main street in the city’s historic centre and striking pedestrians. Two victims—a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man—were killed, while several others were injured. The exact number of wounded has not been disclosed.
Officials said the suspect was arrested at the scene and is being investigated on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Authorities currently believe he acted alone and have found no indication of a political or religious motive.
According to the regional health ministry, the man had stayed briefly at a specialist psychiatric facility on a voluntary basis and was discharged at the end of April, shortly before the attack. In a statement, the ministry said there had been no signs during his stay that he posed a danger to himself or others.
“There were therefore no medical grounds to prevent the patient, who was in the clinic of his own free will, from leaving,” the statement said, adding that legal conditions for involuntary detention had not been met.
Authorities declined to provide further details about the suspect’s condition, citing patient confidentiality.
The incident is the latest in a series of car-ramming attacks in Germany in recent years, including previous cases in Berlin, Munich, and Magdeburg.
