BERLIN — A car rammed into a crowd in the western German city of Mannheim on Monday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring several others, local media reported, casting a shadow over the region’s carnival celebrations.
Police detained the driver, later identifying him as a 40-year-old German man from the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate, according to the public broadcaster SWR, which cited Baden-Württemberg’s interior minister, Thomas Strobl. Authorities said the suspect acted alone and that there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with several people lying on the ground as emergency responders attempted to resuscitate at least two of the victims, Reuters reported.
It remained unclear whether the driver had acted deliberately or if the incident was in any way connected to Germany’s annual carnival festivities. Mannheim had held its main carnival event on Sunday, while other cities, including Cologne, hosted large Rose Monday parades, a traditional highlight of the celebrations.
Authorities declined to comment further on the suspect’s identity, saying the investigation was ongoing.
Security has been a major concern in Germany following a series of violent attacks in recent months, including deadly car rammings in Magdeburg in December and in Munich in February, as well as a fatal stabbing in Mannheim last May.
Police had been on heightened alert for this year’s carnival parades after social media accounts linked to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks on events in Cologne and Nuremberg. In response to the Mannheim incident, Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, canceled her planned attendance at Cologne’s parade, the country’s largest, a spokesperson said.
Rose Monday marks the peak of the carnival season in Germany’s predominantly Catholic western and southern regions, with parades featuring elaborate floats, satirical political commentary, and large crowds of revelers.
