A nine-year-old boy, André Gleissner, was among five victims killed in a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday. Tributes have flooded in for André, affectionately remembered as “my little teddy bear” by his grieving mother.
André was a member of the children’s fire brigade in Warle, and the firefighting community has expressed their condolences. The Lower Saxony youth fire brigade pledged their support to his family during this difficult time.
An online fundraiser for André’s family has garnered over €60,000 in donations.
The attack also claimed the lives of four women, aged 45, 52, 67, and 75, whose identities have not yet been released. Over 200 others were injured, some critically.
Authorities have arrested 50-year-old Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi-born psychiatrist, on suspicion of murder and dangerous bodily harm. While the motive remains unclear, Saudi officials claim they warned Germany of al-Abdulmohsen’s extremist views.