The suspect in what German authorities described as an “Islamist terror attack” at Germany’s Berlin Pride celebrations has been shot dead by police following an extensive manhunt.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday near Tiergarten Park close to the city’s LGBTQ+ celebrations, left one person dead and 29 others injured after a vehicle was driven into a crowd before the assailant allegedly launched a machete attack.
The incident is the latest in a series of vehicle-ramming attacks in Germany in recent years, further intensifying debate over immigration as support for the far-right continues to grow.
German police identified the suspect as Abdul B., a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent who was born in Germany in 2005. Authorities released his photographs and appealed to the public for information on his whereabouts after he fled the scene.
According to prosecutors, Abdul B. was known to law enforcement for his links to Islamist circles in Berlin and had attempted to join the Islamic State group.
The Associated Press reported that he travelled to Lebanon in 2025 with the intention of reaching Syria to join the extremist group.
He was arrested in Lebanon and served three months in prison for offences including inciting religious and sectarian conflict.
After returning to Germany, a Berlin juvenile court sentenced him to one year and 10 months in prison, suspended pending appeal, after convicting him of preparing a serious act of violence and distributing Islamic State propaganda, the AP reported, citing court documents.
Police tracked the suspect to an allotment garden complex in Berlin’s Spandau district on Sunday evening.
Authorities said officers located him at about 6 p.m. local time, where he allegedly charged at police with a stabbing weapon. Members of Berlin’s SEK tactical police unit opened fire, fatally wounding him.
Despite immediate efforts by emergency responders to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
German authorities described Saturday’s violence as an “Islamist terror attack.”
The assault began shortly before 10 p.m. when the suspect allegedly drove a van into pedestrians in Tiergarten Park, close to the Pride parade route but outside the official event area, before attacking people with what police believe was a machete.
“There was a dull bang… after that, there were a few noises,” an eyewitness said.
“At first, we couldn’t make out what the screams were, because of the party, the music, and the atmosphere.
“We only realized later exactly what was going on, when the police cleared the park with machine guns and asked us to go home.”
The van was later discovered abandoned after crashing into a tree.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said one person was killed while 29 others sustained injuries, some of them severe.
He added that none of the injured remained in life-threatening condition by Sunday.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the violence as a “heinous act” and an attack on German society.
Before the attack, hundreds of thousands of people had gathered peacefully for Berlin’s annual Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ events, with around 80 floats moving through the city.
Reacting to the attack, Berlin’s LGBTQ affairs commissioner, Alfonso Pantisano, wrote on Instagram, “To you, my dear community: I know that many of you are afraid right now. I won’t sugarcoat it – I am, too. But you are not alone in this fear, in your grief, and in your anger.”
German rapper Ikkimel also shared a message of support, writing: “Love is never the mistake, fear and hate never an answer.”
“Please please stay strong. I will always stand up for us.”
Addressing the nation on Sunday, Merz vowed that Germany would respond firmly.
“We will think about consequences; we will defend our freedom,” the chancellor said.
Earlier, he wrote on X: “Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world were peacefully celebrating at Christopher Street Day. They wanted us to treat each other with kindness and tolerance.”
“We are open and freedom-loving and we will preserve and defend that.”
He pledged that authorities would investigate the attack thoroughly and prosecute those responsible with the “utmost severity.”
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner also condemned the violence, saying, “following a peaceful and vibrant Pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”
He added, “Berlin is the city of freedom and our freedom has been attacked in the most horrific way today. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends.”
Following the attack, Berlin activated a crisis hotline for people searching for missing relatives or friends. More than 2,200 police officers had been deployed across the city to provide security for Pride events and other LGBTQ+ activities.
