What We Know About Anis Amri, Suspect in Berlin Christmas Market Attack
A myriad of details have come to light about the prime suspect behind the truck attack that killed 12 people and wounded almost 50 others in Berlin this week.
Anis Amri is an asylum-seeker of Tunisian origin, and he became the subject of a German manhunt after his immigration documents were found inside the truck used in the Christmas market massacre. This is not the first time that Amri has been investigated over violence and terrorism, and multiple sources indicate that German officials have been concerned about him for some time.
Amri is a 24 year old man who left Tunisia years ago, and he reportedly spent time in an Italian prison for setting fire to a school. Amri has been in Germany since at least February, and though he applied for asylum, he was rejected months ago and was intended to be deported. BBC reports that German officials were still finalizing Amri’s deportation papers, particularly because Tunisia refused to recognize him as a citizen and take him back.
During his time in Germany, Amri was arrested in August for trying to use forged documents to illegally travel to Italy. He was eventually let go by a judge.
Amri was also surveilled for reportedly being involved in a drug deal and assault, and authorities said they were previously tipped off about how he might have planned to commit a break-in at one point so that he could buy himself an automatic weapon. Observations were called off, however, once authorities failed to come across any evidence to support their previous concerns.
Multiple reports state that Amri was deemed a risk to Germany because of ties to radical Islamic extremists. One of the investigations made into his affairs was part of a terror probe on an ISIS recruitment ring. European arrest warrants state that German police think Amri is armed and that he has a history of using at least six different identities with three different nationalities.
A $105,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that leads to his capture.
Watch a report on the manhunt above, via CBS.
[Image via screengrab]
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