9-year-old boy killed in German Christmas market assault named as Andre Gleissner | World Information

The mom of a nine-year-old boy killed within the German Christmas market assault has paid tribute to “my little teddy bear”.

Andre Gleissner was one in every of at the least 5 individuals who died, whereas greater than 200 others had been injured when a automotive ploughed into crowds in Magdeburg on Friday night.

German Christmas market assault – newest updates

His mom Desiree Gleissner stated in a put up on Fb: “Let my little teddy bear fly world wide once more… Andre did not do something to anybody… He was solely with us on earth for 9 years… why you… why. I do not perceive.

“Now you’re with grandma and grandpa in heaven. They missed you very a lot as we miss you right here now.

“You’ll at all times dwell on in our hearts… I promise you that.”

A GoFundMe web page set as much as help Andre’s household raised almost 50,000 euros earlier than it was closed.

Franziska Helbich, a piece colleague of his mum, wrote on the web page Andre “was so trying ahead to Christmas” however “won’t ever be capable of unwrap his presents”.

“Together with his cheerful smile and his zest for all times, Andre leaves a giant hole within the hearts of his household, pals and all those that knew him,” she stated.

German police have confirmed 4 ladies, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75 had been additionally amongst these killed within the incident.

A 50-year-old suspect was remanded in custody after showing earlier than a choose on Saturday night.

He has been named by German media as Taleb A, together with his surname being withheld consistent with privateness legal guidelines, though the title has not been confirmed by German authorities.

Learn extra:
What we find out about assault up to now
Magdeburg in shock because it tries to make sense of the mindless

The suspect is a Saudi citizen who labored as a health care provider and arrived in Germany in 2006, premier of Saxony-Anhalt state Reiner Haseloff stated.

He’s being investigated for 5 counts of suspected homicide and 205 counts of suspected tried homicide, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens stated.

A memorial service was held for the victims within the metropolis’s cathedral on Saturday night, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, inside minister Nancy Faeser and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in attendance.

The cathedral bells tolling at 7.04pm native time (6.04pm UK time), precisely 24 hours after the assault.

In a put up on X, Mr Scholz described it as a “transferring second of compassion and solidarity for a deeply affected metropolis”.

“The entire of Germany stands in these darkish hours with the folks of Magdeburg,” he wrote.

Residents in Magdeburg informed Sky’s Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins they’re “shocked” and “traumatised” by the assault.

One lady stated she “cannot discover phrases to explain how traumatised we’re”.

“We’d like lots of time to course of what occurred,” she stated.