German Christmas market assault – newest: Nine-year-old boy killed is known as as hundreds raised on GoFundMe

Nearly £50,000 has been raised for André Gleissner, the Magdeburg attack’s nine-year-old victim who “will never be able to unwrap his Christmas presents”.

The tribute on the GoFundMe page set up by a friend of Andre’s mother, Desirèe, states: “André was really looking forward to Christmas. He wanted to spend the last weekend of Advent with his family at the Magdeburg Christmas market.

“But that day ended in unbelievable tragedy: André was a victim of the terrible attack on the Christmas market and will never be able to open his presents. With his cheerful smile and his joy for life, André leaves a big hole in the hearts of his family, friends and everyone who knew him.

“This fundraising campaign was launched to support André’s family during this difficult time. Funds raised will help ease the financial burden caused by this tragedy and allow the family to move through the journey of grief at their own pace.”

The youngest victim of the attack on a Christmas market in Germany has been named by his family.

In a heartbreaking social media post, the mother of nine-year-old André Gleißner paid tribute to her son, saying: “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn’t do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why?”

She added: “You will always live on in our hearts … I promise you that.”

Athena Stavrou has more details in this report:

As the German city of Magdeburg mourns the loss of people killed in an attack on a Christmas market, anger is growing over security concerns and previous warnings given to authorities about the suspect.

Minutes after a car was rammed into the bustling market, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia named by German media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was arrested. On Saturday evening, he was remanded into custody after appearing in court, police said.

Local media reported he had shown support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), with a Saudi source telling Reuters that the kingdom had warned German authorities about the suspect, who the source said had posted extremist views on his personal X account.

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Around 1,000 people congregated in the city of Magdeburg on Saturday night (21 December), after misinformation about the motives of the suspected attacker spread online.

Protesters chanted “Those who do not love Germany should leave Germany” and held a banner with the word “Remigration” on it.

There were some minor scuffles with the police, according to local media reports.

Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor identified by local media as Taleb A, who had lived in Germany since 2006 and reportedly sympathised with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.

In the aftermath of the attack, an anonymous eyewitness told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper that the perpetrator drove into the ‘Fairy Tale’ area of the Magdeburg Christmas market, and that there were many families present. She and her child were able to jump to the side of the vehicle.

A restaurateur said that the driver raced directly past his burger stand, describing the conditions as “war-like”.

As the German city of Magdeburg mourns the loss of people killed in an attack on a Christmas market, anger is growing over “security concerns”.

Security at Christmas markets in Germany has stepped up in recent years following a deadly attack in Berlin in 2016, but the attacker was able to gain access on Friday via emergency exit points.

City official Ronni Krug insisted the security concept for the Magdeburg Christmas market was “constantly being revised and modified.”

He said: “How this case could come about must first be investigated by the police. I will not indulge in speculation. But you can rest assured that we will continue to update the security concept, which we are constantly updating anyway, once we have reached an assessment with our colleagues from the police.”

Four women and a nine-year-old boy have been killed, with 41 people thought to still be critically injured.

A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia was arrested on Friday following the attack and has been remanded in custody.

Identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, he has been in the country since 2006 and according to local media outlets, he reportedly sympathised with the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.

Here’s everything we know about the attack so far:

In the days since his arrest, a 2019 BBC video featuring the Magdeburg attack suspect has resurfaced.

In the interview, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen is seen discussing a website he designed to help ex-Muslims flee the Gulf region.