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Bottrop: Four injured in Germany in New Year's Eve 'racist attack' | Bottrop: Four injured in Germany in New Year's Eve 'racist attack' |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A 50-year-old German man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a xenophobic attack after driving his car into a group of people, including Syrian and Afghan citizens. | A 50-year-old German man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a xenophobic attack after driving his car into a group of people, including Syrian and Afghan citizens. |
Four people were wounded, one of whom remains in hospital. | Four people were wounded, one of whom remains in hospital. |
German police said the man rammed his car into pedestrians in a crowded plaza in the north-west town of Bottrop, just after midnight on New Year's Eve. | German police said the man rammed his car into pedestrians in a crowded plaza in the north-west town of Bottrop, just after midnight on New Year's Eve. |
He reportedly made racist comments when he was later stopped and arrested. | He reportedly made racist comments when he was later stopped and arrested. |
Police said the driver had earlier tried to mow down one pedestrian, who managed to get out of the way. Later, he also targeted a group of people at a bus stop in the nearby city of Essen, they said. | Police said the driver had earlier tried to mow down one pedestrian, who managed to get out of the way. Later, he also targeted a group of people at a bus stop in the nearby city of Essen, they said. |
"A German man deliberately drove into crowds of people... that were largely made up of foreigners," Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, said. "There was a clear intention by this man to kill foreigners." | |
An earlier statement from police and prosecutors said: "Investigators suspect it was a deliberate attack that may be linked to the xenophobic views of the driver. In addition, investigators have preliminary information about a mental illness of the driver." |
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