One Dead, 29 Injured After Vehicle Attack at Berlin Pride Event
One person has died and at least 29 others were injured Saturday night after a vehicle was driven into a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride celebration, in what officials say was a deliberate attack. The suspect was shot and killed by police Sunday evening following a manhunt.
Police initially identified the suspect as 21-year-old Abdul B., saying he is a German citizen of Lebanese background known to have connections to Islamist circles. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt later identified him more fully as Abdul Ballout and said, "Everything we are seeing here indicates that we have experienced an Islamist attack." German media outlets had reported that he is a supporter of the Islamic State group, though authorities have said he had reportedly distanced himself from ISIS during a prior legal proceeding, one factor cited in an earlier case against him being dismissed.
Police said Ballout was located Sunday evening at an allotment garden complex in the Spandau district of Berlin. "According to initial findings, he ran towards officers while armed with a bladed weapon," Berlin police said in a statement. Officers opened fire, and Ballout died at the scene despite resuscitation efforts.
According to prosecutors, Ballout had previously come to police attention for past crimes, including a 2019 assault at a Berlin high school, a robbery the following year, and a 2022 conviction for assault and robbery by extortion. A search of his home earlier this month reportedly turned up nothing but a toy gun, leading prosecutors to drop that case.
The rest of the Pride event has been cancelled.
"We believe that a vehicle entered the Tiergarten park and hit several people and injured them," police said in a statement posted on social media.
How the Attack Unfolded
Revelers had gathered near the Brandenburg Gate, which backs onto Berlin's large central Tiergarten park, for the finale of the Christopher Street Day celebrations when the incident occurred. Witnesses said a white van sped into the crowd shortly after 10 p.m. local time, driving "very quickly" before people began screaming and running into the park to take cover.
A police spokesperson told reporters at the scene that the vehicle "came to a standstill after hitting a tree here in the Tiergarten." The vehicle was later found abandoned at that location, according to police. Officials said the suspect then allegedly left the vehicle and attacked additional people with a bladed weapon, believed to be a machete, before fleeing on foot.
Emergency responders treated the injured nearby, with Berlin's fire department reporting Sunday that three people had life-threatening injuries and eight others were seriously injured. Numerous police officers and fire department rescue units were deployed to the area.
When the vehicle entered the crowd, the screen at the Brandenburg Gate displayed a large "evacuation" warning, prompting attendees to leave the event.
Officials Respond
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attack "an attack on our society."
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner called the incident "an attack on our free and open-minded society." "My thoughts are with the victims, their families and their friends," he wrote on social media. "I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be investigating with the utmost urgency."
A Major Annual Celebration
Earlier Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people had taken part in the Pride march through Berlin, one of the largest in a series of events held across Germany celebrating LGBT rights. Christopher Street Day commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, considered a foundational moment for the modern LGBT rights movement. Berlin's celebration typically draws about a million people and includes musical performances, a parade and political speeches.
In the aftermath of the attack, a makeshift memorial with flowers and Pride flags formed near the Brandenburg Gate.
The attack comes months after a similar incident in Leipzig, where a car was driven into a pedestrian zone earlier this year, killing two people and injuring 22 others.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.