Germany Terror Attack Leaves One Dead and 15 Injured at Berlin Pride Event
A Germany terror attack has left German police hunting for a 21-year-old suspect with links to Islamist circles after a vehicle drove into a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride event in Tiergarten park on Saturday night, killing one person and injuring at least 15 others, some with life-threatening injuries. [1]
Attack on Berlin Pride Event
A white van drove into Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate shortly before 10pm on Saturday and hit several people before crashing into a tree. [1] The vehicle was later found abandoned a few hundred metres from the heart of the festivities. [1] One person died and 16 others were injured, including three with life-threatening injuries, according to Berlin fire department spokesman Dominik Pretz. [1] Around 30 more people were treated for shock at the scene. [1] Eyewitnesses reported that the vehicle's rampage ended when it struck a tree, after which the driver emerged and continued the attack using a machete. [2] Police instructed participants to leave the area near the main Pride stage at Brandenburg Gate, telling them "Go home, please," as the crowd streamed away while emergency crews treated victims. [1] The event was called off at about 10:15 p.m., interrupting a band's performance on stage. [4] Before the incident, hundreds of thousands of people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music and cheering around 80 floats. [5]
Suspect Identification and Manhunt
Police have identified a suspect named Abdul B., aged 21, known to authorities as part of Berlin's Islamist scene, though he has not yet been arrested. [2] Investigators believe he has links to "Islamist circles." [1] A raid was conducted on an apartment in the Schöneberg district. [2] More than 2,000 officers, supported by colleagues from other German states and helicopters with thermal-imaging cameras, are searching the city. [1] The search was widened to the whole city after the vehicle was discovered abandoned in the vast Tiergarten park. [1] The vehicle appeared to be akin to a minivan or small SUV and was white. [1] Police spokesman Florian Nath said investigators had identified the suspect but not yet made an arrest. [1]
Official Reactions
Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the incident as a horrific act and pledged that those responsible would face justice. [1] In a statement, Merz said he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt were being kept informed of developments and would push to make sure this horrific act is fully investigated and punished. [5] Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the attack on a gathering for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin, stating that freedom has come under attack in the most horrific way. [1]
Context of Previous Attacks
The attack revives memories of previous vehicle-ramming incidents in Germany, including the 2016 Berlin Christmas market truck attack that killed 12 people. [1] Last month a 51-year-old Saudi psychiatrist named Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen was sentenced to life in prison for killing six people and wounding more than 300 when he drove a rented SUV through a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg in 2024. [1] Earlier Saturday, a stabbing occurred in February 2025 at Berlin's Holocaust memorial in which a Spanish tourist was seriously injured; a Syrian man named only as Wassim Al M. was jailed in March for 13 years for that attack, with the court finding he acted in the name of the so-called Islamic State group. [1]
Scale of Christopher Street Day
Christopher Street Day draws hundreds of thousands of people to the German capital each year and is one of Europe's largest Pride events. [3] The event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York and combines a parade with political demands for equality, inclusion and protection against discrimination. [3] First held in West Berlin in 1979, the CSD has grown from a small demonstration into a major fixture of the city's cultural and political calendar. [3] Police had deployed more than 2,000 officers to secure the event. [1] Julian Miethig, who attended the event, said it is one of the worst days for the queer community and a day he personally hoped he would never have to experience. [3]
What to watch next: Additional personnel from across Germany continue to join the search operation supported by helicopters equipped with thermal-imaging cameras while investigators examine the abandoned vehicle in Tiergarten park. [1]
