Authorities identified the driver as a 24-year-old man from Afghanistan, who had reportedly been living in Germany as an asylum seeker. He was identified as 24-year-old Farhad N., who also reportedly made extremist statements online before the attack, per the Daily Mail. Police arrested him at the scene and confirmed that there was no further threat. The attack took place near the city center.
Authorities say he was born in Kabul in 2001, and was taken into custody at the scene. German Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann confirmed that his asylum application was denied in 2016 upon his arrival in the country. However, he was allowed to remain under a toleration permit issued by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), temporarily halting his deportation.
Following the attack, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated, "This perpetrator cannot hope for any leniency. He must be punished and he must leave the country." He added, "If this was an attack, we must take consistent action against possible perpetrators using all legal means at our disposal."
Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder suggested the act was "presumably an attack," while Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter released a statement saying that "many people have been injured, including children." Söder, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), called for immediate action, saying, "We cannot go from attack to attack and show concern, but we must actually change something."Local reports, citing law enforcement sources, say that extremist motives had not been ruled out. According to a police spokesperson, the suspect's vehicle approached a demonstration organized by Verdi, one of Germany’s largest trade unions, before overtaking a police car and intentionally driving into the crowd.
Officers fired at the vehicle before successfully apprehending the driver. Authorities believe he acted alone. Police also revealed that the suspect had a history of criminal offenses, including drug-related crimes and theft.
The injured victims have been transported to various hospitals across the city. Munich’s second mayor, Dominik Krause, confirmed that city employees were among those hurt. He also noted that many demonstrators had brought their children to the event.
This attack follows a pattern of recent violent incidents involving asylum seekers in Germany. Just three weeks ago, a similar case in Aschaffenburg resulted in the deaths of a man and a two-year-old child.
The attack comes just before Munich is set to host global leaders—including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Vice President JD Vance—for the high-profile Munich Security Conference. The conference is set to take place from Friday to Sunday.
This is a developing story.
