He was one of five people killed in the attack
The mother of a nine-year-old boy killed in a Christmas market attack in Germany has paid tribute to her son.
On Friday evening (December 20), five people were killed and more than 200 injured after a car was driven into crowds at a festive market in Magdeburg.
Nine-year-old André Gleissner was one of those who died in the attack, along with four women aged 45, 52, 67 and 75.
A 50-year-old suspect, Saudi-born psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, has since been remanded in custody on suspicion of five counts of murder, multiple attempted murders and dangerous bodily harm, police say.
In a post on Facebook, André’s mother paid tribute to her “little teddy bear” and said he would “always live in our hearts.”
She wrote: “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again… Andre didn’t do anything to anyone… He was only with us on earth for nine years. I don’t understand.
“Now you are with grandma and grandpa in heaven. They missed you very much as we miss you here now.
“You will always live on in our hearts… I promise you that.”
Tributes were also paid by a fire department in nearby Schöppenstedt, who said André had been a member of the children’s fire brigade in Warle, about an hour’s drive from Magdeburg.
In a statement, they said: “Our thoughts are with André’s relatives, who we also want to support during this difficult time.”
The Lower Saxony youth fire brigade also paid tribute to the nine-year-old, writing in a statement: “Our condolences go out to his family, his friends and everyone who was close to him.
“We stand by their side in these difficult times and express our deepest sympathy,” it added.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for André’s family. At the time of writing, it has received just under €87,000 (£72,000) in donations.
The four women who died in the attack have not yet been identified.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities say they believe the driver acted alone.
Al-Abdulmohsen arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee. He had been an outspoken critic of Islam in social media, where he showed support for Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), the BBC reports.
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters that it was “clear to see” that he holds “Islamophobic” views.
