Perpetrator's will reveals Christmas market attack motive
In the car of the man who drove into the crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on 20 December, a note containing the perpetrator's last will was found. He had considered the possibility of dying and wanted to dispose of his assets.
The attacker in Magdeburg was aware that he might be killed during his desperate act at the Christmas market. When he drove into the crowd of adults and children, he had his last will written in the car.
He decided that his estate should be donated to the German Red Cross. The police found a note with this directive in the car he had rented.
The perpetrator's will: He designated one organisation to receive his estate
Taleb A., a 50-year-old Saudi national who carried out the attack on 20 December, had rented the vehicle on 11 December for his crime. He killed five people and injured over 200.
As reported by "Der Spiegel", on Tuesday, investigators announced they had discovered the perpetrator's will. Taleb A. stipulated that his estate should go to the German Red Cross.
The criminal's letter contained no political message; it explained nothing, nor did it shed light on the reasons for the act. However, it is known that there were certain signals that were not taken seriously by the authorities.
The day after renting the car, Taleb A. gave an interview to an Islamophobic American blog. He expressed admiration for Elon Musk, disappointment with Germany, and support for the right-wing party Alternative for Germany.
Taleb A. arrived in Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia. He worked as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Bernburg, about 25 miles south of Magdeburg.
The man, a native of Saudi Arabia, was raised in Islam but renounced the religion and became a critic of it. He was a very active user on the social media platform X, describing himself there as a former Muslim and Saudi dissident. He had about 47,000 followers online.
