Germany: Injury toll rises in Carnival attack
February 25, 2020
The number of injured in the German town of Volkmarsen has been put at over 50 on Tuesday, a day after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd in what police are calling a "deliberate act." Eighteen of the injured were children. 35 people are still being treated with injuries.
Investigators are hoping to question a 29-year-old man, who is suspected of driving a silver Mercedes car into the Rose Monday Carnival parade.
The suspect reportedly was a local from the town of 6,800 inhabitants. He was known to police in connection with other offenses including breach of the peace and assault. He was not known to authorities as an extremist, reported German news agency dpa.
A spokesman for prosecutors said so far there is no indication the incident was politically motivated and that there are currently no plans to hand the investigation over to federal prosecutors.
Police and the Frankfurt General Prosecutor's Office are investigating the incident as an "attempted homicide" but have not yet called it an attack, although the Hesse interior ministry is not ruling this out.
Prosecutors in the state of Hesse, where Volkmarsen is situated, said on Tuesday that contrary to initial reports the driver had not been under the influence of alcohol. Whether he was tested positive for other drugs remains unclear.
Police on Tuesday also detained a man who took video footage as the car rammed into the crowd. A spokesman said investigators are trying to establish if there is a connection with the incident.
Authorities increased security at some Carnival processions around Germany on Tuesday.
kp,jcg/rg (dpa, Reuters)