The suspect has a measure of restraint in the form of detention was applied on charges of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
Usually at this time of year, the centers of German cities are full of shoppers and revelers drinking mulled wine, but this year the mood is completely different.
The main Christmas market is cordoned off and surrounded by police vans, while armed officers patrol nearby shops and malls.
There is sadness in the air in Magdeburg, as well as confusion and anger as people ask how this could have happened.
As Scholz and his colleagues exited the cordoned-off market during their visit on Saturday, they were greeted by whistles, screams and shouts of “hau ab,” an extremely aggressive form of “get lost.”
Some people seemed to be outraged by the alleged security breach. Others just looked irritated and annoyed with Germany’s political leaders.
Security at Christmas markets across Germany has been stepped up after a similar attack in Berlin in 2016, when a man drove a truck into a crowd at a market, killing 12 people.
Open-plan Christmas markets now have some sort of barrier around them, usually large concrete blocks like Magdeburg.
However, the gap in the barriers was large enough for emergency vehicles to drive through.
City official Ronnie Krug told reporters at a press conference Saturday that emergency responders need an evacuation route in the event of a “normal” emergency, and all relevant agencies have approved the plan.
“The concept of safety and security must, on the one hand, protect those attending the event as much as possible, but at the same time must ensure that, if something happens, they can leave the place safely and quickly,” he said.
“Maybe this is something that could not be prevented,” he added.
German media reports that the suspect warned of a potential threat before the attack.
