A van ploughed into people gathered for Berlin's annual LGBT+ pride event on Saturday evening, leaving one person dead and at least 16 others injured, according to police. The celebrations and a concert were halted shortly after they had begun.
Berlin police confirmed they have identified a suspect who remains at large. The 21-year-old, named in a wanted notice as Abdul B., is known to authorities and has links to Islamic extremist circles in the German capital.
“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,” said police spokesman Florian Nath. He did not disclose the suspect's name.
Details of the attack
The incident occurred around 10pm local time in the Tiergarten park, next to the route of the earlier pride march. A white van drove into the park, struck several people, and collided with a tree. Some victims sustained life-threatening injuries. Police urged everyone to leave the area immediately as ambulances and firefighters attended to the wounded.
Authorities have not confirmed the number of officers deployed but described it as “definitely a lot of police”. Overall, more than 2,200 officers were on duty in Berlin since Saturday morning to protect pride events. Witness interrogations continued overnight; investigators are also looking into accounts that some victims may have suffered stab wounds, though no conclusions have been drawn.
Political reaction and community response
Berlin mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock, stating that “following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner”. He called the incident “an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society” and expressed confidence in the police and security authorities working around the clock on the investigation.
Authorities appealed for witnesses to come forward with any video or photos taken at the scene. A crisis hotline was set up for people searching for missing friends or family members.
Hundreds of thousands had gathered for Berlin's pride parade, known as Christopher Street Day, one of Europe's largest LGBT+ celebrations. The event at the Brandenburg Gate, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10.15pm and a band's performance was interrupted. Attendees were told to go home and avoid the park route. Earlier, the parade had passed peacefully with dancing, music, and around 80 floats.
Julian Miethig, who had attended the party at the Brandenburg Gate, said he learned from a friend that “something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances”. He went to Tiergarten and was shocked. “It’s a dark day for the community,” he said.
