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Tragedy struck in Leipzig, Germany, on Monday when a car crashed into a pedestrian zone, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and leaving several others with serious injuries, as confirmed by local authorities.
According to Reuters, police have apprehended the driver, a 33-year-old German man. While the investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing, officials have assured the public that there is no further threat at this time.
Leipzig’s Mayor, Burkhard Jung, expressed deep sorrow over the event, describing it as a “horrific attack.” He confirmed that two lives were lost and at least three people sustained severe injuries.
“We are grieving for the two lives lost and are concerned for the three individuals who are seriously injured, along with many others who have suffered injuries,” Jung stated during a press conference on Monday evening, as reported by Leipziger Volkszeitung.
A video screengrab, taken from a handout by NEWS 5 via REUTERS, shows people gathered at the scene in Leipzig, Germany, on May 4, 2026, following the tragic incident.
“It’s impossible to find the right words for this horrific attack,” he ​added.
Germany, like several other European countries, has seen a string of car-ramming and stabbing attacks in recent years. Some have been tied to political or religious motives, while others have involved suspects with mental health issues.
Saxony’s prime minister, Michael Kretschmer, said the suspect in Monday’s incident may have been dealing with mental health issues. Officials said he surrendered without resistance, according to local outlet Leipziger Volkszeitung.
Police cordon off the area after a car plowed into people on a street, leaving at least two dead and several injured, in the city center in Leipzig, Eastern Germany on May 4, 2026. (Jens Schlueter / AFP via Getty Images)
Police launched a large-scale response, flooding the area with emergency vehicles and shutting down nearby streets.
City officials described the incident as a “mass casualty event,” though the exact number of injuries was not immediately clear.
Local broadcaster Radio Leipzig reported that a damaged Volkswagen SUV was seen speeding through the pedestrian zone, with a person on top of the vehicle.
A police car is parked behind a police cordon at the spot where a car has driven into a group of people. (Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The incident comes amid a series of similar attacks across Germany.
Last year, two people were killed in Mannheim when a driver plowed into a group of pedestrians. Weeks earlier, another attack at a trade union demonstration in Munich left two dead and more than 40 injured, including several children.
In December 2024, a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg left multiple people dead, months after a stabbing at a festival in Solingen.