A grim update emerged from the Magdeburg Christmas market tragedy: a 52-year-old woman has succumbed to her injuries, raising the death toll to six.
The December 20 attack, carried out by Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi national, also left 235 others injured, some critically. The Prosecutor General’s Office in Naumburg confirmed the latest fatality, deepening the nation’s grief over the devastating incident.
Disturbingly, al-Abdulmohsen had been flagged more than 80 times to authorities, including six alerts from foreign security agencies, as reported by Bild. Yet, despite these repeated red flags, he managed to evade action. His troubling behavior spanned over a decade.
Back in 2013, al-Abdulmohsen made chilling threats to a medical association, referencing the Boston Marathon bombing: “Have you seen the pictures from Boston? Something like that will happen here.” He was fined, but other threats went unchecked.
In 2014, he caused a stir by lying down in front of the Rostock Regional Court beside a suitcase adorned with a Hitler image. The investigation went nowhere, and the files were eventually destroyed. Two years later, in a threatening letter to the Attorney General, he declared: “You’re filthy bacteria that will soon be destroyed… I’m ready to pay for this my entire life.” Yet again, no substantial action followed due to missing documentation.
Despite a warning from the Saudi embassy in 2023, German authorities only began to acknowledge al-Abdulmohsen as a credible threat. Even then, their response lacked urgency. Shortly before the attack, he was scheduled to appear in court but failed to show up. Instead of taking decisive action, officials passed the responsibility along, resulting in disastrous consequences.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior admitted to receiving warnings but stated they were handled “within the scope of respective responsibilities” and passed on to state authorities. Why these measures didn’t prevent the attack remains a glaring and unanswered question.
The Magdeburg attack has left Germany grappling with its shortcomings in addressing security threats. While the investigation continues, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of systemic failures in tracking and responding to danger signals.
