A car crashed into a crowd in Mannheim, a city in western Germany, on Monday, resulting in at least two fatalities and multiple serious injuries, according to local media reports. The incident cast a shadow over carnival celebrations in the region, where police had been on alert for potential attacks.
Authorities apprehended the driver and later confirmed that he acted alone, ruling out any wider threat to the public.
The suspect, identified as a 40-year-old German man from the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate, was reported by broadcaster SWR, citing Baden-Wuerttemberg’s state interior minister, Thomas Strobl. The ministry has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Eyewitnesses described seeing people lying on the ground, with at least two individuals undergoing resuscitation, a witness told Reuters.
It remains unclear whether the driver’s actions were intentional or if they were linked to Germany’s carnival celebrations. Mannheim, where the incident took place, held its main carnival event on Sunday, rather than on Rose Monday, when parades are traditionally held.
Police have not disclosed the suspect’s identity, stating that this remains a key part of their ongoing investigation.
Security concerns have been heightened in Germany following a series of violent incidents in recent months. These include fatal car rammings in Magdeburg in December and in Munich last month, as well as a stabbing in Mannheim in May 2024.
Authorities had been on high alert for this year’s carnival parades after social media accounts associated with the Islamic State militant group called for attacks on events in Cologne and Nuremberg.
Due to the incident in Mannheim, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser canceled her planned attendance at the Cologne parade, the country’s largest, her spokesperson confirmed.
Rose Monday marks the peak of the annual carnival season, particularly in Germany’s Catholic-majority western and southern regions. The celebrations include parades featuring satirical floats referencing current events.
This year’s carnival displays featured depictions of figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Thousands of revelers, dressed in traditional jester outfits and adorned with colorful makeup, filled the streets of Cologne, Düsseldorf, and other cities in western and southern Germany, celebrating ahead of the Lenten fasting season.
