Flowers and candles at the crime scene in Leipzig.Image: keystone
After the rampage in downtown Leipzig, the district court ordered that the perpetrator be placed in a psychiatric hospital for the time being. The 33-year-old German is accused of two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder, the Leipzig public prosecutor’s office said.
May 5, 2026, 6:20 p.mMay 5, 2026, 6:34 p.m
According to previous investigations, there are urgent reasons why the accused committed the crime “in a state of at least significantly reduced culpability,” the statement said. Following the public prosecutor’s request, the district court considered his temporary placement in a psychiatric hospital to be necessary for public safety. According to current knowledge, it is likely “that the accused will commit further significant illegal acts of comparable severity due to his condition”.
Two people died in the shooting
According to the police, the German drove into the city center on Grimmaische Strasse, which is one of the city’s central shopping streets, at around 4:45 p.m. on Monday. He hit several people with his car in the pedestrian zone. The driver then brought the car to a stop himself and allowed himself to be arrested without resistance.
Two people died as a result of the shooting – a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man. As the public prosecutor’s office and the Leipzig police also announced, six people between the ages of 21 and 87 were injured, two of them – a 75-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman – seriously. In addition, more than 80 people had to be cared for after the incident.
The perpetrator was still in a psychiatric clinic a few days ago
According to investigators, the 33-year-old perpetrator lives in the Leipzig region and was inpatient treatment in a psychiatric facility a few days earlier. As the Ministry of Social Affairs in Dresden confirmed, he had voluntarily stayed in the clinic at his own request and was released at the end of April. He had already come to the attention of the police, among other things because of threats and defamatory offenses in a social environment. These are incidents without physical violence, such as insults or denigration.
There is still no reliable information about the background to the crime. According to investigators, there is no evidence of a political or religious motive.
The shopping street in Leipzig city center has now been reopened to passers-by. However, most of the shops along the street remained closed for the time being. According to the city, the road in the affected area should be structurally secured. (sda/dpa)