Investigators in Leipzig have said the suspect in a car-ramming that killed two people and injured six others had recently received psychiatric treatment, with no apparent political or religious motive.
The 33-year-old German man was arrested on Monday after driving several hundred metres through a busy shopping area. The victims, a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, both German, died at the scene. Two of the injured are in a serious condition.
Police and prosecutors stated on Tuesday that there is no evidence of a political or religious motive. The suspect is being investigated on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, with authorities believing the attack was deliberate.
The suspect had come to the attention of authorities earlier this year due to threats and defamatory offences. Following a phone call from him on 17 April, police took him to a specialist psychiatric hospital with his consent. He was treated there until last Wednesday.
The social affairs ministry in Saxony said that during his treatment, the man posed no danger to himself or others, and there was no medical reason to prevent his discharge. He has no previous convictions and no other pending cases.
