Saudi Doctor Arrested in Fatal Car Attack at German Christmas Market

Criticism mounts over media headlines accused of downplaying the driver's role in the Magdeburg terror attack that killed two and injured dozens.

A 50-year-old Saudi doctor was arrested after intentionally driving a car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing two people and injuring at least 68 others.
Authorities have classified the incident as a terror attack, with the suspect apprehended at gunpoint at the scene.
Prominent media outlets, including the Associated Press, faced backlash for using passive language in headlines, such as 'A car has driven into a group of people,' which critics argue downplays the driver’s culpability.
US Vice President-elect JD Vance and Elon Musk criticized the media for allegedly obscuring key details, with Vance questioning, 'Who was driving the car?' and Musk calling out 'legacy media' for misleading narratives.
Social media users expressed outrage, accusing headlines of minimizing the attack's severity and speculating that they were avoiding mention of the suspect's background to downplay religious or cultural tensions.