Suspect in Munich vehicle ramming shouted' Allahu akbar' to police after attack: Prosecutor
LONDON -- The suspect in a vehicle attack that injured dozens of people in Munich shouted "Allah Akbar," or "God is great," to police officers after the incident, prosecutors told ABC News.
At least 39 people, including several children, were injured after a driver rammed a white Mini Cooper into a crowd during a Verdi trade union demonstration in the center of the city Thursday morning, authorities said.
The suspect -- a 24-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker residing in Munich on a valid residence permit -- acted alone and admitted during questioning to intentionally driving into the crowd, according to Senior Munich Public Prosecutor Gabriele Tillmann.
Authorities believe there is a religious motivation with signs of Islamist influence, but there are no confirmed ties to extremist organizations like ISIS at this time, Tillmann said. The suspect described himself as religious, attended a mosque and prayed regularly, Tillmann said.
A search of his home and digital evidence have not found any accomplices or detailed plans of the attack, though his WhatsApp messages included a farewell message to a relative that stated, "Maybe I won't be here tomorrow," according to Tillmann.
The Munich public prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for the suspect, Farhad Noori. He was scheduled to appear before a judge at a court in Munich on Friday afternoon local time.
The investigation remains ongoing, with a key focus on why the Verdi rally was targeted and if he had prior knowledge of it, Tillmann said.
Two people, including a 2-year-old child, remain in critical condition, according to Tillmann.
"Doctors are currently fighting for the toddler's life," a spokesperson for the Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital said Thursday following the attack.
The suspect was "secured" at the scene following the attack, police said.
He was already known to police because he "was listed as a witness due to his previous work as a store detective," not because he was a known criminal, police said.
He had no previous criminal convictions, though he was investigated for fraud involving an employment agency, according to Tillmann. The case was dropped after he paid a fine, she said.
Florian Volm, a spokesperson for the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office, told ABC News on Thursday that the Bavarian Central Office for Extremism and Terrorism of the Attorney General's Office is "investigating today's incident to find possible motives."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that he did not want to "prejudge the results" amid the ongoing investigation into the "terrible attack."
"But our thoughts are with the victims and their families," he said. "Some of the victims were very, very seriously injured."
Police said the incident occurred in the area of Dachauer Street and Seidle Street in the heart of Munich, close to the city's central train station.
The incident occurred at Stilgmaierplatz, where a rally organized by the Verdi trade union was taking place from 10:30 a.m. local time, police said. The event was accompanied by police and therefore officers were already on site.
A Munich police spokesperson told ABC News that the suspect overtook a police vehicle with his car before accelerating and plowing into the back of the demonstration.
"I am deeply shocked. My thoughts are with the injured," Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told reporters.
Images from the scene showed police and medical responders working near a damaged vehicle surrounded by belongings and debris. Police cordoned off the area of the incident as helicopters circled above. Police have not identified the suspect or the vehicle involved.
Thursday's vehicle crash came less than two months after a car plowed through a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing two people and injuring nearly 70 others, local officials said at the time.
ABC News' Helena Skinner and Felix Franz contributed to this report.
