A white van rammed into a crowd near Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring 29 people. The attack occurred around 10 p.m. in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate, where the vehicle struck multiple pedestrians before colliding with a tree. Some victims suffered life-threatening injuries. The event, one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ celebrations attended by hundreds of thousands, was cancelled following the incident.
German authorities have classified the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack. The prime suspect was identified as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots. Police stated that Ballout was known to them as a member of the Islamist scene in Berlin. In addition to the vehicle ramming, investigators reported that the suspect allegedly stabbed people with a machete during the rampage. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt noted that all evidence points to a terrorist act, while Chancellor Merz stated that such attackers aim to take away openness and freedom.
Following a manhunt, police shot and killed the suspect on Sunday during an operation at an allotment garden complex in the suburb of Spandau. Officers reported that the suspect ran toward them armed with a bladed weapon, prompting them to open fire. Despite resuscitation efforts by the Berlin fire department, he died at the scene. Members of the LGBTQ+ community expressed grief, anger, and solidarity in the wake of the attack.