German police have shot dead the chief suspect in a deadly Islamist terror attack near Berlin's Pride festival. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, was killed during an operation at an allotment garden complex in the Spandau district on Sunday evening.
The attack on Saturday evening left one woman dead and 29 others injured. A man drove a rented minivan into a crowd of pedestrians in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate, then attacked people with a machete. The incident occurred close to one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ celebrations, forcing organisers to cut the event short.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed Ballout had a criminal record and was known for radicalisation and affiliation with the Islamist scene. German media reported that Ballout, a German national with Lebanese roots, supported Islamic State and had been convicted of “preparing a serious act of subversive violence” after failing to join the group in the Middle East.
Ballout’s father, Tawfik, speaking from Lebanon, described his son as “generous, emotional, loving” but said he was “brainwashed”. He said the family is Shia but does not support Islamic State. Tawfik spoke with his son on the day of the attack, saying the call was normal.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Germany to avoid division and intimidation, vowing to punish those responsible. The flag at the German Bundestag was lowered to half mast. Police continue to investigate the attack, which has shaken the capital and the LGBTQ+ community.
