A deadly van ramming and knife rampage occurred near Berlin’s Pride festival on Saturday night around 10 pm. In the Tiergarten park close to the Brandenburg Gate, a man drove a minivan into a crowd of pedestrians and then attacked people with what appeared to be a machete. The attack killed one woman and injured 29 others, shattering celebrations for hundreds of thousands attending one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ events.
Authorities identified the suspect as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots. Police described Ballout as a member of the Islamist scene in Berlin and a known Islamic State sympathizer who had attempted to join the organization in 2025. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that all evidence surrounding the attack points to an Islamist terrorist attack.
Following the incident, a manhunt was launched for the fugitive suspect, who was warned to be armed and dangerous. On Sunday evening, Berlin police located him at an allotment garden complex in the suburb of Spandau. According to police, Ballout ran towards officers while armed with a bladed weapon, prompting them to open fire. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by the Berlin fire department, he died at the scene.
Chancellor Merz responded to the violence, stating that attackers have only one purpose, which is to take away openness and freedom.