Germany’s Office for Migration and Refugees said it had received a tip-off last year about the man accused of attacking a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, killing five.
The warning was received via social media channels late in the summer of 2023, the authority wrote on X.
“This, just like any of the many other indications, was taken seriously,” the migration office posted.
Since the migration office is not an investigative body, the informant was referred directly to the relevant authorities, the post said.
Screenshots are circulating online that appear to show messages from an individual warning the migration office about the alleged perpetrator, Taleb A.
The authenticity of these screenshots could not initially be verified.
Taleb A, whose full identity is protected by German privacy laws, was charged on Sunday with numerous counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges.
The suspect is said to have used unobstructed emergency lanes to speed through the Christmas market on Friday evening, hitting people at high speed. Four women and a nine-year-old boy were killed, and 200 injured, according to the authorities.
