A car ploughed into a crowd in the historic center of the eastern German city of Leipzig on May 4, killing two people and injuring several others, authorities said.
The driver, a 33-year-old German man, was arrested at the scene and officials said his motivation was unclear.
Germany has been shaken by a series of car-ramming attacks in recent years, including one targeting a Christmas market in 2024 in Magdeburg, and also in Berlin and Munich.
In the latest incident in Leipzig, a Volkswagen Taigo car careered from a major square in the old town down a busy pedestrian zone, traveling hundreds of meters.
While officials did not draw firm conclusions on the driver’s motive, several described the incident as an "Amokfahrt," a German term suggesting a rampage driven by some kind of madness.
This kind of act was "often associated with psychological instability," said Armin Schuster, the interior minister in the Saxony state government.
Police said late May 4 said there was "no basis on current knowledge" to assume a political or religious motive on the part of the perpetrator.
A 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, both German citizens, died in the incident, they added.
Authorities said the driver was being investigated on suspicion of offenses including murder and attempted murder.
He was believed to have acted alone, police said, and there was no ongoing danger in the city.
