A vehicle ploughed into crowds gathered for Berlin’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations on Saturday night, leaving one person dead and at least 16 others injured, as authorities abruptly ended the event and cancelled a scheduled concert in the German capital.
Berlin police said they have identified a suspect who remains at large and has links to Islamist extremist circles in the city.
“The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” police spokesman Florian Nath said. He did not reveal the suspect’s identity.
Earlier, police disclosed that some of those injured were in life-threatening condition. In a post on X, officers urged people to leave the area immediately while emergency responders treated victims at the scene.
“We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” police officer Florian Nath said in a brief video posted on the Berlin police account on X.
Van crashes into Tiergarten
Police said the incident occurred at about 10 p.m. when a white van drove into Berlin’s Tiergarten park, close to the route earlier used by the Pride parade. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before crashing into a tree.
Authorities did not specify the number of officers deployed to the scene but described the response as involving “definitely a lot of police.”
More than 2,200 police officers had been deployed across Berlin on Saturday to provide security for the Pride march and related LGBTQ+ events.
Investigators spent the night interviewing witnesses and examining reports suggesting that some victims may also have suffered stab wounds. However, police said it was too early to determine whether those claims were connected to the incident.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the attack, describing it as a strike against the city’s values.
“Following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”
“This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society,” Wegner said. “I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate.”
Authorities appealed to witnesses to submit any photos or videos that could assist the investigation, while the city activated a crisis hotline for people searching for missing relatives or friends.
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered for Berlin’s Christopher Street Day celebrations, one of Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ events.
Pride celebrations halted
The main Pride programme at Brandenburg Gate, located near Tiergarten, was suspended shortly after 10:15 p.m., with a live performance interrupted as organisers instructed attendees to leave and avoid the park.
The celebrations had proceeded peacefully for most of the day, with participants dancing through the streets, cheering and following around 80 colourful parade floats.
One attendee, Julian Miethig, said he had left the Brandenburg Gate celebration intending to attend an afterparty before hearing about the incident.
“Something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances,” he said a friend told him.
Miethig said he later went to Tiergarten and was stunned that such violence had occurred during Berlin’s Pride celebrations.
“It’s a dark day for the community,” he said.
