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2025 Mannheim car incident

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2025 Mannheim car incident
A CCTV still of the car speeding shortly before the incident
Map
Location of the Paradeplatz square in Mannheim
Date3 March 2025; 17 days ago (2025-03-03)
Time12:14 (CET)
LocationParadeplatz, Mannheim, Germany
Deaths2
Non-fatal injuries15 (including the driver)
Accused1
ChargesMurder x2
Attempted murder x5
Grievous bodily harm x11

On 3 March 2025, a car was driven into a crowd at Paradeplatz [de], a popular pedestrian area in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The collision resulted in two fatalities and injuries to 14 individuals. The driver fled the scene but was apprehended by police.[2][3][4]

The nature of the incident remains under investigation by state police, who have stated the suspect has psychiatric problems and there is "no indication" of a political or religious motive.[5][6][7]

Background

[edit]

Germany was celebrating Rosenmontag or Rose Monday, a carnival held before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, causing German police to be on high alert.[8]

There were two prior car-based attacks in Germany within three months of this one, some with political motives, some caused by mentally ill people. Due to security concerns, official Rosenmontag celebrations had already been cancelled in several German major cities, including Mannheim, although parade marches had taken place on the weekend for Tulpensonntag [de] and a Fasnacht market was scheduled to take place on 4 March.[9][10] As no special events had been planned for the day, no bollards or other barriers were put in place, the situation preceding the incident being described as "a regular day of urban life in Mannheim".[11][12]

Incident

[edit]

The incident took place at 12:14 local time (11:14 GMT).[7][13][14] Surveillance footage showed a black 2002 Ford Fiesta making a turn from the city centre ring into Planken [de], a shopping lane, accelerating to at least 60 km/h.[7] The vehicle drove into a group of people sat on a bench inside the pedestrian zone in Paradeplatz [de], hitting several of them.[15][11] Eyewitnesses reported a chaotic scene, with multiple victims lying on the ground.[16][17] Mannheim Police Chief Ulrike Schäfer was at the square and stated that she had seen one person flung 50 metres from the impact.[18]

As the car continued to drive through the inner city, an off-duty taxi driver who had witnessed the collision followed the car. The taxi driver is credited with saving lives by warning pedestrians with shouting and honking.[19][15] While attempting to shake off the pursuer, the car crashed into a cul-de-sac wall in sector E7 [de] and was blocked from reversing out by the taxi.[20] A man got out of the car and fired a gunshot at the taxi driver before fleeing on foot.[21][22][23] Police found the abandoned car at 12:26.[18] The man was arrested at 12:43, near the Rheinbrücke at Mannheim Harbour, after he shot himself in the mouth with a gas pistol.[22][24][25] Afterwards, he reportedly asked to be shot by the arresting officers.[26]

The city's hospital declared a state of emergency, and authorities advised residents to avoid the downtown area of Mannheim during the emergency response.[27]

Victims

[edit]

Two people, an 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man, were killed.[28] Baden-Württemberg LKA reported the number of injured as 11, including five seriously,[16] which was revised to 14 on 5 March.[19][26] Ten of them were locals to Mannheim while the remaining four were from Ludwigshafen. They were aged 2 to 62.[29]

The injured were treated at Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Theresien Hospital, and Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg. As of 6 March, all but one have been released from hospital.[29]

Suspect

[edit]

A 40-year-old man identified by police as Alexander Scheuermann,[30] a German citizen from the neighbouring city Ludwigshafen, has been held as the driver of the vehicle. Scheuermann did not provide any information to authorities about the attack.[31] Police seized a gun, written documents and digital data carriers. They are currently being forensically examined and analyzed.[32] Schuermann didn't have a permit for the blank-firing pistol used in the attack at the time of the incident.[33] A handwritten note containing reminders for left-right distinction and "mathematical formulas for reaction distance, braking distance and stopping distance" was found taped to the dashboard.[21][34] Due to the self-inflicted injury to his mouth, he was brought to a hospital for treatment and taken into police custody the following day. An interrogation has been postponed until Scheuermann becomes capable of speech again.[24][35]

Scheuermann had been in psychiatric treatment for several years, last in August 2024, after he told a hospital receptionist that he wanted to set himself on fire.[36][29] According to state prosecutor Romeo Schüssler, the suspect had been previously convicted of assault, drunk driving, and hate speech between 2008 and 2018.[37][36] The assault case, wherein Scheuermann had attacked a woman with an electroshock weapon, resulted in short prison time[38] due to an earlier arrest in September 2010, for carrying a gas pistol without a licence inside the courtyard of a gymnasium in Ladenburg. Scheuermann has been linked to "Ring Bund", a neo-Nazi arms trafficking group based out of Bavaria and associated with the Reichsbürger movement, which had been shut down in 2022.[36][39][40] Police are investigating potential ties to the German far right-wing movement after images of Scheuermann surfaced attending an NPD protest march in October 2018.[41][42][43][44]

Reactions

[edit]

On the evening of March 3, 2025, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD), Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (B90/Greens), State Minister of the Interior Thomas Strobl (CDU) and Mannheim's Mayor Christian Specht [de] (CDU) expressed their dismay in Mannheim.[45][46]

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni[47] and President of France Emmanuel Macron offered condolences.[48]

Singer Maite Kelly cancelled a concert that was scheduled for 5 March "out of respect for the victims".[21]

Throughout the week, state authorities deployed 55 pastoral counselors (Seelsorger [de]) of various religions for Mannheim citizens.[49][50] By the beginning of the following week, Baden-Württemberg extended the program due to high usage.[51][52] On 10 March, an ecumenical and interreligious remembrance service was held at Paradeplatz.[14][53][54]

On 14 March, a discussion about the incident in an internal affairs meeting in the Bundestag was delayed in favour of discussing a basic law amendment for the debt brake.[55] As of 19 March, an internal investigation is underway, with Thomas Strobl defending police's statements about a presumed mental illness rather than political motive despite the suspect's right-wing involvement.[56][57][58]

Although initial comparisons were drawn to the earlier Magdeburg and Munich car attacks,[59][60][61] some media have since criticised waning reporting of the Mannheim car incident since 5 March,[62][63] noting similar had occurred with the 2018 Münster attack, the 2019 Essen-Bottrop-Oberhausen attack,[64][65] the Volkmarsen and Trier attacks in 2020 and the 2022 Berlin car attack, despite higher casualties, in either fatalities or injuries.[66][67][68]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bericht: Mannheim-Amokfahrer wegen "Sieg Heil"-Kommentars verurteilt - Pfalz-Express". Pfalz Express (in German). 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Germany latest: One killed and several seriously injured after car driven into crowd in Mannheim, police say". Sky News. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Germany: 1 dead, several injured in Mannheim car ramming". Deutsche Welle. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  4. ^ Brown, Benjamin; Halasz, Stephanie (3 March 2025). "At least one killed after car rams into crowd in German city of Mannheim, police say". CNN. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  5. ^ "Two dead as car hits crowd in German city". France 24. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  6. ^ "Auto-Angriff in Mannheim hatte wohl kein politisches Motiv". BR24 (in German). Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Todesfahrt in Mannheim: Was über Alexander S. bekannt ist". FAZ.NET (in German). 4 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  8. ^ Brown, Benjamin; Halasz, Stephanie (3 March 2025). "At least two killed after car rams crowd in German city of Mannheim". CNN. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Absage nach Mannheimer Amokfahrt: In der Region werden fast alle Fasnachtsveranstaltungen abgesagt". Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Fasnachtsumzug Mannheim-Ludwigshafen 2025 - Mannheim". Wochenblatt Reporter (in German). 4 February 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Mannheim, schon wieder: Eine Stadt im Schockzustand". Deutsche Welle (in German). 4 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Auto rast in Menschenmenge: Nach Amokfahrt in Mannheim – Mutmaßlicher Täter kommt noch heute zum Ermittlungsrichter". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). 4 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Mannheim: Auto rast in Menschenmenge - zwei Tote und mehrere Verletzte". SWR Aktuell (in German). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b Pecht, Marco (10 March 2025). "Hunderte beten um 12.14 Uhr in Mannheim für Opfer der Amokfahrt". Mannheimer Morgen (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  15. ^ a b "„Der Mann ist der Held des Tages": Taxifahrer stoppte Fahrer von Mannheim". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). 4 March 2025. ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  16. ^ a b "At least two dead in apparent car ramming attack in Mannheim". Euronews. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  17. ^ Sädler, Florian; Dinger, Alexander; Kraetzer, Ulrich (3 March 2025). "Täter verletzte sich bei Festnahme selbst – wohl kein politisches Motiv – zwei Tote, zehn Verletzte" [Perpetrator injured himself during arrest – probably no political motive – two dead, ten injured] (in German). Die Welt. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  18. ^ a b Gülmen, Metin (4 March 2025). "Todesfahrt in Mannheim: Ausgerechnet sie wird Augenzeugin! Polizei-Chefin schildert Horror-Moment". DerWesten.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  19. ^ a b ""Ich bin kein Held": Das ist der Taxifahrer, der die Amokfahrt von Mannheim stoppte". SWR Aktuell (in German). 5 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  20. ^ "Mutiger Taxifahrer stoppte den Todesfahrer von Mannheim". stern. 4 March 2025.
  21. ^ a b c "Mannheim: Auto fährt in Menschenmenge - was wir wissen". ZDFheute (in German). 4 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Das ist der Todesfahrer von Mannheim! Er schoss auf seine Verfolger, dann richtete er die Waffe gegen sich selbst" [This is the fatal driver from Mannheim! He shot at his pursuers, then turned the gun on himself] (in German). RTL. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  23. ^ Winterbauer, Stefan (3 March 2025). "„Ein richtiger Held" – dieser mutige Taxifahrer stoppt den Todesfahrer von Mannheim". Mannheim 24 (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  24. ^ a b "Haftbefehl gegen den Todesfahrer - Trauer in Mannheim". www1.wdr.de (in German). 4 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  25. ^ Dahlkamp, Jürgen; Duhm, Lisa; Gebauer, Matthias; Jüttner, Julia; Keck, Christine; Röbel, Sven; Schirmer, Sophia; Wiedmann-Schmidt, Wolf (3 March 2025). "Gewalttat am Rosenmontag: Was über die Todesfahrt von Mannheim bekannt ist". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  26. ^ a b "Todesfahrer von Mannheim wollte sich erschießen lassen". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  27. ^ "Mannheim live updates: One person dead after car drives into crowd in German city of Mannheim, police say". BBC News. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  28. ^ Juravel, Alina (3 March 2025). "Mannheim: Frau (83) und Mann (54) getötet – erste Details zu Opfern". Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  29. ^ a b c Figaj, Patrick (6 March 2025). "Weitere Details zur Amokfahrt von Mannheim: Das ist über Alexander S. bekannt". SWR Aktuell (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  30. ^ "2 dead, 25 injured after vehicle drives into crowd". ABC News. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
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  32. ^ Majumdar, Roshni (5 March 2025). "Mannheim: Mayor praises taxi driver who blocked attack". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  33. ^ "Mannheimer Amokfahrer wollte sich von Polizei erschießen lassen" [Mannheim rampage driver wanted to be shot by police] (in German). Südwestrundfunk. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  34. ^ "Nach Todesfahrt in Mannheim: Polizei entdeckt mysteriösen Zettel in Tat-Auto". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). 5 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  35. ^ Wiest, Matthias; Kessel, Wolfgang (5 March 2025). "Nach Amokfahrt in Mannheim: Haftbefehl wegen Mordes erlassen". SWR Aktuell (in German). Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  36. ^ a b c "Alexander S.: „Sieg Heil from Germany", schrieb der Mannheimer Amokfahrer im Jahr 2018". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  37. ^ "Mutmaßlicher Todesfahrer von Mannheim: Bewaffnet und vorbestraft". Mannheim 24 (in German). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  38. ^ "Todesfahrer von Mannheim: Frau litt nach Elektroschock-Attacke von Alexander S. an Angstzuständen - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  39. ^ "Mannheimer Täter ist Teil der rechten Szene". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  40. ^ "Todesfahrt in Mannheim: Berichte über rechtsextremen Hintergrund". Puls 24 (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  41. ^ Unger, Christian (5 March 2025). "Mannheim: Neue Details zu Alexander S." Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  42. ^ "Amokfahrt Mannheim: Neues zum Motiv und zur Rolle des Taxifahrers - Mannheim". Wochenblatt Reporter (in German). 5 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  43. ^ ""Bolzenschusserlaubnis für Vieh": Mannheim-Täter soll Neonazi-Kontakte gehabt haben". t-online (in German). 5 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  44. ^ Litschko, Konrad (5 March 2025). "Pkw-Attacke in Mannheim: Amokfahrer war früher in rechtsextremer Szene aktiv". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  45. ^ Muschel, Roland (4 March 2025). "Mannheim: Wie OB Christian Specht eine verstörte Stadt repräsentiert". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  46. ^ "„Tat erschüttert uns zutiefst"". Baden-Württemberg Staatsministerium (in German). 3 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  47. ^ "President Meloni's Statement on the Incident in Mannheim". Government of Italy. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  48. ^ "„Horror am helllichten Tag" – Reaktionen auf Todesfahrt in Mannheim". www.mannheim24.de (in German). 6 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  49. ^ "Notfallseelsorger stehen in Mannheim für Gespräche bereit". domradio.de (in German). 4 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  50. ^ "Baden-Württemberg: Mannheim nach der Amokfahrt: Seelsorge und Aufarbeitung". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  51. ^ "Amokfahrt in Mannheim: Notfallseelsorge verlängert Präsenz und führt hunderte Gespräche". Eßlinger Zeitung (in German). 7 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  52. ^ "Mannheim nach der Amokfahrt: Seelsorge weiter verlängert". SWR Aktuell (in German). 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  53. ^ "Nach Amokfahrt in Mannheim: Interreligiöses Gebet auf Paradeplatz". SWR Aktuell (in German). 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  54. ^ Radio 91.2. "1.500 Menschen bei Gedenken nach Todesfahrt in Mannheim". Radio 91.2 (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  55. ^ Aktuell, S. W. R. (14 March 2025). "Zwei Tote bei Amokfahrt in Mannheim: Politik in Berlin vorerst mit Absage an Aufarbeitung". SWR Aktuell (in German). Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  56. ^ "Mannheimer Amokfahrt im Innenausschuss: Ermittlungen in alle Richtungen". SWR Aktuell (in German). 19 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  57. ^ "Nach Amokfahrt von Mannheim: Bundestag-Innenausschuss beschäftigt sich mit dem Fall". SWR Aktuell (in German). 17 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  58. ^ "Baden-Württemberg: Mannheimer Amokfahrt im Innenausschuss: Ermittlungen in alle Richtungen". tagesschau.de (in German). 19 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  59. ^ "Warum kommt es so gehäuft zu Amokfahrten in Deutschland?". FAZ.NET (in German). 7 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  60. ^ "„Tötungsfantasien": Was Öffentlichkeit und Medien bei Mannheim außer Acht lassen". www.fr.de (in German). 8 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  61. ^ Marquart, Oliver. "Mannheim, München, Magdeburg: Warum wir über Auto-Anschläge falsch reden | Sonntags". www.sonntagsblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  62. ^ "Analyse: Medieninteresse nach Mannheim halb so groß wie nach Magdeburg und München". www.fr.de (in German). 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  63. ^ Agarwala, Anant (6 March 2025). "Angriff Mannheim: "Die Gewalt von Deutschen wird weitgehend ausgeblendet"". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  64. ^ "Nach Amokfahrt in Mannheim: Frühwarnsystem soll Menschen mit Risikopotenzial finden". Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (in German). 9 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  65. ^ Dirker, Jonas (4 March 2025). "Schutz vor Amokfahrten: Kritik an Sicherheitskonzepten im Bonner Karneval". General-Anzeiger Bonn (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  66. ^ "Mutmaßlicher Täter psychisch krank?: Volkmarsen, Trier, Berlin, Mannheim – eine traurige Serie". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  67. ^ Görmann, Marcel (10 March 2025). "Mannheim: Deutscher Täter - kein "Brennpunkt"? ARD und ZDF geraten in die Kritik". DerWesten.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  68. ^ "Schade, dass es kein Ausländer war". stern.de (in German). 7 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
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