The German city of Trier has been gripped by the deaths of five people, including a nine-week-old baby girl, after a driver ploughed through a pedestrian area. 14 other people were injured during the incident.

A black day for Trier

A driver rammed through a busy pedestrian area in the city of Trier on Tuesday, December 1, killing five people and injuring another 14, in what has been described by the city's mayor as the “blackest day in the city of Trier since the Second World War."

The driver turned on to a busy shopping street at around 1.50 pm on Tuesday and drove for about a kilometre, mowing people down as he went. Police arrived around four minutes after the first calls to the emergency services and intercepted the driver as he turned right off the street.

Police officers pinned the driver face down as they arrested him and cordoned off the area, clearing people out of the city centre. The man was the only person in the vehicle.

Suspect suffering from mental illness

Prosecutors have stated that the suspect appeared to be suffering from mental health problems. This sentiment was echoed by an unnamed man, who claimed to be a former neighbour and told reporters that the suspect was in financial trouble and had problems with his father. Prosecutor Peter Fritzen said that the man was drunk at the time of the incident and resisted arrest.

Investigators do not believe there to be a political or religious motivation behind the attack and are instead considering multiple charges of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. Due to the driver’s suspected psychiatric issues, authorities have yet to decide whether the suspect should continue to be remanded in custody or placed in a psychiatric institution for evaluation.

Condolences pour in from around Germany

Several politicians and important societal figures have condemned the attack. Both the State Premier and Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer and Roger Lewentz, have expressed their shock at the incident and condemned the attacker. Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed her “great sadness” at the turn of events in Germany’s oldest city.

Georg Bätzing, bishop of Limburg and one of Germany’s most senior clerics, also voiced his support for the victims: "In this hour of speechlessness and sadness, I am united with the victims, the deceased, the injured and their relatives," he said.