German police have confirmed that one person has died and several others sustained serious injuries after a car was deliberately driven into a crowd in central Mannheim.
Authorities arrested one suspect, though it remains unclear if others were involved. Following the incident, police declared a “life-threatening situation” and urged residents to avoid the inner city as emergency services responded to the scene.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing multiple people lying on the ground after a black SUV sped through the crowded area. According to local news outlet Mannheim24, the vehicle traveled at high speed from Paradeplatz square toward the city’s iconic water tower.
The attack took place amid carnival celebrations across Germany, including in the Rhineland region, where large crowds had gathered for festivities.
Security concerns have been heightened in Germany following recent violent incidents, including fatal car rammings in Magdeburg in December and Munich last month, as well as a deadly stabbing in Mannheim in May 2024. Authorities had already been on high alert for this year’s carnival events after online threats linked to the so-called Islamic State (IS) group targeted celebrations in Cologne and Nuremberg.
