2018 Münster attack
2018 Münster attack | |
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Location | Münster, Germany |
Coordinates | 51°57′39″N 7°37′34″E / 51.9607°N 7.6261°E |
Date | 7 April 2018 | (UTC+2)
Target | Unknown |
Attack type | Vehicle-ramming attack |
Weapons | Motor vehicle |
Deaths | 5 (including the perpetrator) |
Injured | 20 |
Perpetrator | Jens Alexander Rüther |
On 7 April 2018, a man drove a van into people seated outside restaurants in a pedestrianised square in the old part of the German city of Münster. He killed four people and injured about 20 others, six of them seriously, before committing suicide.
Attack
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Trauer_am_Kiepenkerl-Denkmal_in_M%C3%BCnster.jpg/170px-Trauer_am_Kiepenkerl-Denkmal_in_M%C3%BCnster.jpg)
On 7 April 2018, a man drove a camper van into people seated outside restaurants in a pedestrianised square in the old part of the German city of Münster.[1][2] Police said the attacker drove into "several cafe and restaurant terraces in a major square in the centre of Münster".[2] The perpetrator then shot himself dead.[2] It was then found that his van was booby-trapped with a pistol connected to a wire.
The attack initially killed three people, including the perpetrator, and also injured about 20 others, six seriously.[2] Another victim died on 26 April.[3] A Dutch victim who was in a coma after the attack died almost four months later on 29 July.[4]
Prior to the attack, Münster had been planning to install security bollards in public areas, although the list of public spaces regarded as high-risk and slated to receive bollards did not include the location of this attack.[5]
Perpetrator
The attacker was identified by media sources as a 48-year-old German national named Jens Alexander Rüther, born about "an hour south" of the city,[6][7] who had previously suffered from psychiatric illness.[7]
Media reported that Rüther was born on 1 May 1969 and had resided in Münster. Deutsche Welle described him as a "wealthy designer."[1] He was later known as small-time criminal, who stole cell phones and car radios to finance his drug addiction. Local reports claimed that he had been in contact with certain far-right groups but had not been an extremist himself.[citation needed] He had said in the past that he wanted to commit suicide in a spectacular way. Authorities also considered the possibility that he committed the crime due to relationship problems.[8]
State Interior Minister Herbert Reul said on the day of the attack that there was no indication of an Islamist background of the attack.[7] On 18 April, Reul said that after an analysis by the security authorities, right-wing extremism was also ruled out as a motive. He said that, rather, the crime "had to do with the life" of the perpetrator and his "assignment of guilt".[9]
Reactions
Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shocked" about the crime. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his condolences to the victims and relatives. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin condemned the crime and offered their sympathies. A public memorial service was held on the following Sunday.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b Chelsom-Pill, Charlotte (10 April 2018). "German city of Münster searches for answers, days after deadly van attack". USA Today. DW. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Two killed in Germany as van ploughs into crowd in Muenster". BBC News. 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Münster attack victim dies weeks after rampage | DW | 26.04.2018". DW.COM. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ NOS news
- ^ "Do bollards offer protection against vehicle attacks?". DW. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- ^ Huggler, Justin (8 April 2018). "German police arrest men suspected of terror plot on Berlin half marathon". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Diehl, Jörg; Hagen, Kevin (7 April 2018). "Attacke in Münster: Täter soll psychische Probleme gehabt haben" [Attack in Münster: perpetrator has had mental health problems]. Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ Jens R. hat seine Tat offensichtlich perfide kalkuliert, Die Welt, 7 April 2018
- ^ Kein rechtsextremer Hintergrund bei Todesfahrt von Münster, Rheinische Post, 19 April 2018
- ^ Merkel "zutiefst erschüttert" – Trump und Putin kondolieren, Die Welt, 7 April 2018
- 2018 murders in Germany
- 2018 road incidents
- 2010s in North Rhine-Westphalia
- 2010s road incidents in Europe
- April 2018 crimes in Europe
- April 2018 events in Germany
- Attacks on restaurants
- History of Münster
- Mass murder in 2018
- Mass murder in Germany
- Murder in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Road incidents in Germany
- Suicides by firearm in Germany
- Vehicular rampage in Europe