Car plows into pedestrian zone killing 2 as police detain driver and investigate motive

A car plowed into a pedestrian zone in Leipzig, Germany, on Monday, killing two people and leaving several others seriously injured, officials said.

Reuters reported that police detained the driver, identified as a 33-year-old German man. Officials said there was no ongoing threat to the public as investigators work to determine what led to the incident.

People gather after a car ran into a crowd, in Leipzig, Germany, May 4, 2026, in this screengrab taken from a handout video. (NEWS 5/Handout via REUTERS )

Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung said the city was "mourning two deaths" and at least three people were seriously hurt, calling it a "horrific attack."

"We ​are mourning two deaths, currently three seriously injured people, and many ⁠others who were injured," Jung told journalists at a media briefing on Monday evening, ​according to Leipziger Volkszeitung.

"It’s impossible to find the right words for this horrific attack," he ​added.