The hit-and-run driver in Munich turned out to be a native of Afghanistan, who had previously been in the police, the head of the Interior Ministry of the German state of Bavaria, Joachim Herrmann said on Friday.
“By now we know that he has come under the radar for drugs and shoplifting, but crimes of a violent nature are currently unknown,” Herrmann said.
According to the latest reports, at least 28 people were injured, at least two are in serious condition. German media also wrote about the dead woman, but this information has not yet been confirmed.
The attacker is detained by police at the scene. As Der Spiegel reports, he turned out to be 24-year-old native of Afghanistan Farhad N., who had been living in Germany since 2016. Earlier, he was denied asylum in Germany, but this did not prevent the Afghan from staying in the country: the authorities did not deport the migrant to his home country, granting a deferral.
Farhad was previously known to police for drug offences and shoplifting. The media claim that he had published Islamist posts before the attack.
Some witnesses say there were two attackers: the second was wounded by police and taken to hospital. There is no official information about the second perpetrator yet. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder said that the hit-and-run on the demonstrators was probably a terrorist attack: “All further details still need to be investigated.”
Munich Security Conference
Police are looking into a possible link between the attack and the upcoming Munich Security Conference on February 14-16. The event will bring together senior politicians from around the world, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US Vice President J.D. Vance.
A similar terrorist attack occurred on December 20, 2024, when an Islamist drove into people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg – then 6 people were killed. Another mass migrant attack on German residents has once again sparked discussions about tightening migration laws. This topic is one of the key issues on the agenda of early parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23.
