At least 20 people, including a child, were injured after a Mini Cooper drove into a crowd in Munich on the morning of Thursday, February 13. The driver, identified as a 26-year-old Afghan man, was arrested at the scene.
Munich police reassured the public via social media that the driver had been secured and no longer posed a threat. The incident occurred as global defense leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, gathered in the Bavarian city for a major security conference.
According to reports, the car accelerated into demonstrators associated with the Verdi trade union on Seidlstrasse at around 10:30 a.m. Witnesses told German newspaper Bild that shots were fired before the driver was detained. A major police operation is currently underway, according to local authorities.
German journalist Sandra Demmelhuber described the aftermath on social media: “People were sitting on the ground, crying and shaking. A person was lying on the street, and a young man was taken away by police.”
Emergency services are on the scene providing aid to the victims, and authorities are investigating whether the crash was intentional or due to driver error. Bild reported that police are working to determine if the driver deliberately drove into the crowd or accidentally confused the accelerator and brake.
One demonstrator told Bayerischer Rundfunk: “I saw a man lying under the car. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Eventually, the police arrived and shot at the car window. They then took care of the injured.”
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter expressed his distress over the incident, telling Bild: “The police chief has informed me that a vehicle drove into a group of people, and unfortunately many were injured, including children. I am deeply shocked.”
