German Police Hunt Suspect in Berlin Pride Van-Ramming and Knife Attack

Manhunt Underway After Deadly Van-Ramming and Knife Attack Near Berlin Pride

According to police and interior officials, a white van was driven into a crowd at Tiergarten park around 10 p.m. local time, striking several people before colliding with a tree. Following the vehicle ramming, the suspect allegedly attacked additional people using a bladed weapon, suspected to be a machete. The location of the attack was outside the secure festival area near the Brandenburg Gate, occurring near the site where hundreds of thousands of people had gathered for Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

Suspect Identified and Public Warned to Avoid Contact

German authorities have issued a wanted notice for a 21-year-old suspect identified in police appeals as Abdul B. and in official briefings as Abdul Ballout. Officials described the suspect as a German citizen with Lebanese roots who has a slim build, stands approximately 1.9 meters (6-foot-3) tall, and has black hair. He is believed to have been wearing a black hoodie and white pants during the incident.

Police and prosecutors have urged the public to immediately dial 110 if they encounter the suspect and to avoid direct contact, warning that he may be armed and dangerous. Law enforcement operations were conducted across the German capital, including an early Sunday morning search at an apartment in Berlin’s Schöneberg district, though police reported finding no one there.

Berlin Pride Vehicle Attack Kills One and Injures 16 People

Interior Minister Dobrindt stated that the suspect had previously come to the attention of authorities due to radicalization and connections to Islamist circles in Berlin, alongside numerous past crimes. Dobrindt noted that Ballout was born in Germany three years after his mother was naturalized in 2002, and that he had previously received a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months in Berlin, though the specific convictions were not detailed.

Casualties and Emergency Response at Christopher Street Day

Berlin’s fire department reported that three individuals sustained life-threatening injuries and eight others were seriously injured, bringing the total number of injured victims to 29 alongside the single confirmed fatality. Emergency personnel and police responded quickly to the scene, while organizers called off the Pride event around 10:15 p.m., interrupting a stage performance and urging participants to head home and avoid routes through the park.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the incident on X, describing it as a heinous act and an attack on our society. Governing Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner similarly lamented the violence, stating that the city of freedom had been horribly attacked. Leaders and officials across Europe, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressed solidarity with the victims, while Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema announced that local authorities and organizers were closely monitoring security situations in response to the Berlin attack.