Several injured after BMW rams into crowd in Germany as suspect remains at large

Around five people in Germany have been injured after a car rammed into a crowd, police have confirmed.Shortly before midnight on Monday, a BMW was driven deliberately into a group of people in Neustadt am ‌Ruebenberge, a northern town some 17 miles from Hanover. It is reported that the incident left four to five people with injuries ranging from minor to severe. However, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. According to local media, an unknown number of suspects fled the car on foot.A police patrol that was nearby carrying out a routine traffic check in the state of Lower Saxony intervened and prevented further harm. Officers fired shots at the vehicle during the incident, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday. Local news reports that several cars were damaged in the area, with flat tires, smashed rear windows and bullet holes.A forensic analysis into the incident is taking place (AFP/Getty)Initial information suggests those involved were known to each other and that the perpetrators likely targeted the group of people and were not acting at random.However, the sequence of events and the exact roles of those involved are still under investigation. A forensic analysis is ongoing while the occupants of the BMW remain at large.Car ploughs into Pride paradeLast year, one person died and 17 were injured after a car drove into a crowd during Berlin’s LGBTQ+ parade. According to police, a car had driven into the Tiergarten park, near the route of the pride march, hitting several people. Hundreds of thousands of people had visited the capital to celebrate Christopher Street Day (CSD). It is one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.A mourner holds a placard which reads "Equal Solidarity for all those affected" as people pay their respects at a makeshift memorial in tribute to the victims at the Tiergarten park (AFP/Getty)A suspect - reported to be a member of the city’s “Islamist scene” - was identified in the early hours of the morning following the attack. 21-year-old Abdul Ballout was shot and killed by police officers in Spandau, west Berlin, when he charged towards them with a knife."We don't want this act to be exploited for political purposes or for people to be placed under general suspicion," a spokesperson for CSD said at the time. "Such violence is an attempt to divide our society and incite people against each other. We, as Berlin CSD, will not allow this."