The Chicago Police Department on Friday afternoon was paying "special attention" to the city's Christkindlmarket following an incident at a Christmas market in Germany that left two people dead and at least 68 others injured when a vehicle sped through a crowd.
In a statement, Chicago police said, "The Chicago Police Department is aware and continuing to monitor this incident. While there is no actionable intelligence at this time, CPD has a special attention on the Christkindlmarket."
In New York City, police have increased security at holiday markets as a precaution and in response to the incident, a senior NYPD official told NBC News on Friday.
German American Events, which operates the Christkindlmarkets in Chicago and Aurora, released the following statement:
"We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the Christmas Market in Magdeburg. Our thoughts are with all those affected.
Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our visitors, vendors, and staff. We have many security measures in place, both seen and unseen. We are fully cooperating with authorities and are committed to supporting their efforts in every way possible. The Christkindlmarket has dedicated security personnel and police department officers on-site at both markets in Chicago and Aurora to ensure a safe environment at all times."
A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg in what authorities suspect was an attack.
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Fifteen of the injured were were hurt very seriously, according to government officials and the city government’s website. It said 37 people had injuries of medium severity and 16 were lightly injured. Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has about 240,000 residents.
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The suspected attack came eight years after an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. On Dec. 19, 2016, an Islamic extremist plowed through a crowded Christmas with a truck, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.
Christmas markets are a huge part of German culture as an annual holiday tradition cherished since the Middle Ages and successfully exported to much of the Western world. In Berlin alone, more than 100 markets opened late last month and brought the smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and bratwurst to the capital. Other markets abound across the country.
