The only suspect in custody, a Pakistani asylum-seeker, denied involvement in Monday night’s assault that left 12 dead and 52 injured after a truck carrying a payload of steel careened into festive stalls and fairgoers in Berlin.

Even as German police raised doubts on whether they had the right person, they accelerated efforts to study forensic evidence. It included analysis of blood stains within the cabin of the truck — turned into a weapon in a tactic used just five months earlier in a similar holiday rampage on the French coast.

Investigation teams also moved to piece together what they described as “circumstantial evidence,” including witness descriptions and video footage. But no criminal sketches were released to the public, suggesting how much remained unknown. And as night settled on the gritty German capital, Berliners were cautioned to stay on guard.

Read more