Heartbreaking tributes have been paid to the nine-year-old boy tragically killed in Friday’s Christmas market massacre.
André Gleißner was murdered after a suspect reported to be a Saudi exile rammed a black BMW rental car into a crowd of people at Magdeburg Christmas market shortly after 7pm Friday night. As well as Andre, another four women aged between 45 and 75 were killed, with more than 200 injured.
His devastated mother Désirée took to Facebook to express her grief after losing her “little teddy bear”. She wrote: “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn’t do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why?
“I don’t understand. Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven. They missed you very much, as much as we miss you here now. You will always live in our hearts. I promise you that.”
The post has already been liked more than 150,000 times, and racked up 185,000 shares in the hours after it was posted.
The Magdeburg attacker seen outside court (
Image:
BILD Fotoservice)
A family friend said: “It’s incomprehensible. André was just a little angel to everyone. He has enriched so many people in his short life with his kind nature and so much zest for life.
“My deepest sympathy to his wonderful family I wish you all a lot of strength and togetherness. I’m thinking about you guys.”
Other victims of the Christmas Market atrocity have spoken of their horror at being caught up in the attack. Their disturbing accounts began to emerge on Sunday morning after suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was formally remanded in custody by a German court.
Taleb is accused of slamming a black BMW into a crowd of hundreds of revellers at a Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday (
Image:
@Mick_O_Keeffe/X)
An image has been released showing Taleb al-Abdulmohsen before he left his native Saudi Arabia (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
The 50-year-old was brought before a judge on Saturday night and told he faces charges of murdering a nine-year-old boy and four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75. He also faces multiple counts of attempted murder and of dangerous bodily harm.
Marco Forciniti, 39, was among 205 people were hurt, including 41 seriously, when a BMW sped through crowds in the city of Magdeburg on Friday evening. He is in hospital with two broken legs and ankles.
