Truck Crashes into Berlin Christmas Market

Truck Crashes into Berlin Christmas Market

At least 12 people died and 45 more were injured on Monday, December 19, when a truck, similar to a semi or 18-wheeler, plowed through a Christmas Market in Berlin, Germany.

Around 8 p.m. local time, the truck jumped the sidewalk near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The vehicle traveled 50-80 meters before stopping, taking down festive booths, overturning tables and smashing into crowds enjoying the massively popular tourist attraction.

Police believe there were two people in the truck’s cab at the time of the incident. One passenger was found dead inside the truck while the other jumped out of the truck. A suspect was arrested very near to the scene.

Tuesday morning, Police tweeted that they were unsure the person they detained was in fact the driver of the truck. They are still searching for the suspect.

The license plates on the truck belonged to a Polish truck company. When police and reporters called on the company for more information, they told them the truck was headed to Berlin from Poland on business and was being driven by the cousin of the company’s owner. The owner did not believe that his cousin would carry out an attack like this, and told police that he had lost contact with the driver around 4 p.m. that afternoon. There are suspicions that the truck had been hijacked.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Berlin police say they suspect the incident was a terrorist attack. In a statement, the police added that they were working swiftly and with “necessary care” in the investigation.

The incident comes just months after the vehicle attack on Nice, France during Bastille Day celebrations. More than 80 people were killed and dozens more injured when a truck evaded barriers and drove through the crowds.

Just recently, an Islamic publication wrote to encourage readers to plot attacks using vehicles to create mass casualties. German Christmas Markets around the country were placing barriers and extra security guards around the perimeter of the festivities to protect against something just like this.

Featured

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

  • Stay Secure in 2024: Updated Cybersecurity Tips for the Office and at Home

    Cyber criminals get more inventive every year. Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve and are a moving target for business owners in 2024. Companies large and small need to employ cybersecurity best practices throughout their organization. That includes security integrators, manufacturers, and end users. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge. 3