According to the police, the man who caused the incident was also from the Trier area and had no criminal record before. It is understood that the perpetrator has been unemployed for a long time and has no permanent home. The car he drove that day was borrowed from a friend, and he slept in the car many days. At the time of the incident, the police discovered that he was driving drunk.
After the incident, German social media showed news of “terrorist attack on Trier.” Trier officials immediately issued a warning, urging the public not to spread rumors about the incident. Investigators said on the 2nd that the suspect is currently unwilling to disclose the motive of committing the crime. Investigators believe that the man’s actions did not have any background of terrorism, political or religious motives, but he did intend to harm the public. The procuratorate has not yet decided whether to apply for pretrial detention or place him in a closed psychiatric hospital because there are signs that the man may have a mental illness.
The accident plunged the quiet town of Trier into extreme grief. On the 2nd, people came to the famous local landmark Kuromon to place candles, flowers and commemorative cards to show their solidarity with the victims and the city. Trier Mayor Lebe said on the 2nd that this was “the darkest day in Trier after World War II.” German President Steinmeier and Chancellor Merkel also mourned the victims through the media.
“This is a dark day!” The German newspaper Bild reported on the 2nd that a tragedy occurred in Trier, the “hometown of Marx” in western Germany, on the afternoon of the 1st: a man drove an off-road vehicle into the pedestrian zone, causing at least 5 people were killed and 14 were injured. Lebe, the mayor of Trier, said on the 2nd that “this is related to the murder.” Currently, the motive of the case is still under investigation.
The incident occurred at 1:30 pm on the 1st local time. The 51-year-old man drove a Land Rover off-road vehicle into the pedestrian street in a “snake” manner. The police said that the car crashed in the pedestrian street for at least 600 meters, and many people were knocked into flight. The man was arrested later. The victims of the incident were all residents of Trier, including a 9-week-old baby.
