Boy, 12, Tried to Nail-Bomb Christmas Market: German Officials

Officials said the same boy had tried to detonate explosives at the Ludwigshafen Christmas market on Nov. 26

A 12-year-old boy attempted to detonate a bomb at a Christmas market in in Ludwigshafen, Germany, authorities said, NBC News reported.

On Dec. 5, local officials found a black bag in a waste container. The bag contained what is believed to be “pyrotechnical material that is used in fireworks,” according to investigators.

Germany’s FOCUS magazine reported that a controlled explosion was carried out after the bomb was reported by a civilian. They also reported that the same boy had tried to detonate explosives at the Ludwigshafen Christmas market on Nov. 26. It is unclear if it was the same device as the one found nine days later.

Local authorities told NBC News that they would “turn down an investigation” in this case because they boy, who was born in Germany but is of Iraqi heritage, was under age 14. FOCUS quoted investigators as saying the "strongly radicalized" suspect was likely "incited and instructed" by an "unidentified member of ISIS."

Contact Us