MÜNSTER, Germany — The 48-year-old German man who drove a van into a crowd in Münster was well known to police, had a history of run-ins with the law, and had expressed suicidal thoughts to a neighbor last month, German prosecutors said Sunday.

The man, whose name was not released, killed two people and injured 20 others Saturday afternoon by crashing into those drinking outside a popular bar in the western German city’s Old Town. He then shot himself to death inside the van.

The impact of the crash was so violent that the van did not stop until it hit the pub’s stone wall.

Police said Sunday that they believed he acted alone, but did not explain why they thought that.

The picture painted by police showed the suspect as a Münster resident who was apparently financially well off but was frequently at odds with authorities and in court often. Media reported that he is an industrial designer who once threatened his father with an ax.

Münster police President Hajo Kuhlisch said the man’s four apartments and several cars had been searched thoroughly.

Associated Press