The Berlin truck attack suspect may still be on the run after the attack in which a truck plowed into booths at a Christmas market in the German city.
The Pakistani asylum-seeker arrested in connection with the attack has been released for lack of evidence, according to The Washington Post. The attack killed 12 and injured 45, with 30 being injured seriously.
The man arrested was caught fleeing the van, but it was later determined that he may not have been the driver of the truck. His connection to the attack is still undetermined, according to Reuters.
Governments across Europe tightened security at traditional Christmas markets Tuesday as well as raising their terror alerts and putting more police on the streets. Security at train stations and other important sites was also increased, The Washington Post reported. Looking forward, major police departments like London’s Metropolitan Police department are beginning to prepare for increased risks of terrorism around Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
The truck used in the attack was owned by a Polish freight company, and its scheduled driver was found shot to death inside the vehicle, Reuters reported. A relative of the driver who also owned the freight company said the driver last spoke to his wife around 3 p.m. The truck’s GPS showed movement shortly thereafter as if the driver was learning to drive it, the relative said, according to Reuters.
A previous plan by al-Qaeda to bomb the Strasborg Christmas market on New Year’s Eve was discovered and thwarted in 2000, and security officials in Europe have long warned that Christmas markets were vulnerable to attack, Reuters reported.