Authorities have urged the public to avoid the downtown area and remain indoors, reports the Associated Press.
Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm confirmed that the incident took place in Paradeplatz, a pedestrianized area in the city. “We can confirm that one perpetrator was arrested,” Wilhelm said. “We can't yet give information on whether there were further perpetrators."
The exact number of injured and the severity of their injuries have not been disclosed. German authorities are investigating the incident. No motive has been confirmed.
Images from the scene showed parts of the area cordoned off, with a large police presence and helicopters flying overhead. Officers were seen gathered around a damaged black car while ambulances lined up nearby.
The incident occurred in Paradeplatz, a major square in Mannheim’s downtown area at the end of a pedestrianized street. The city, which has a population of 326,000, is located about 85 kilometers south of Frankfurt.
Authorities sent an emergency alert through the Katwarn app, warning residents to stay away due to the heavy police deployment.
Mannheim police said in a post to X: "At the current stage of the investigation, the perpetrator is a lone perpetrator who has already been arrested. Evidence of a second perpetrator cannot be confirmed at this time. There is currently no danger to the population."
Germany has seen several violent incidents in recent months. In January an Afghan immigrant was arrested in Aschaffenburg after a stabbing attack that left two people dead, including a toddler.
In December 2024, mass protests broke out in Germany following an incident in which a Saudi doctor allegedly drove his vehicle into a crowd at a Christmas market. Five people, including a 9-year-old child, were killed, and more than 200 others were injured.
In November, German authorities arrested two teenagers suspected of plotting an Islamist terrorist attack on a Christmas market in western Germany.
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