Suspect in Berlin Pride attack shot dead in police operation

By Laura Sharman, Chandler Thornton, Sophie Tanno, Jonny Hallam, CNN

(CNN) — The suspect in the deadly ramming and stabbing attack at Berlin’s largest LGBTQ+ event was shot and killed by police at an allotment garden complex in Berlin’s Spandau district on Sunday, Berlin Police said in a statement.

Police said officers located the suspect at the complex at around 6 p.m. local time. He allegedly rushed toward them with a stabbing weapon, prompting members of Berlin’s SEK tactical police unit to open fire. Police said that despite immediate attempts by emergency first responders to resuscitate him, he died at the scene.

German authorities launched a major manhunt after an attacker drove a van into a crowd near Saturday’s Pride celebrations and then stabbed several people with a machete.

The vehicle struck people walking in the Tiergarten park in central Berlin, near the route of the Pride parade but outside the official event area.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as an “Islamist terror attack.” The attack left one person dead and 29 other people injured or severely injured, he said. Police said none of the injured remained in a life-threatening condition.

Dobrindt said the suspect had used the vehicle as a weapon before allegedly attacking other people with what was believed to be a machete.

The suspect, who police have named as Abdul B., 21, was a German citizen of Lebanese background, Dobrindt said. He was born in Germany in 2005.

The suspect was known to police “as a member of Islamic circles” in Berlin and sought to join the Islamic State group, the Associated Press reported citing German prosecutors.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the incident as a “heinous act” and an attack on German society.

Police said a van drove through the park shortly before 10 p.m. and hit several people. It was later found crashed into a tree and abandoned.

“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.”

Pride celebrations interrupted

Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music and cheering as around 80 floats traveled through the parade, the AP reported.

In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the area immediately after the attack, as ambulances and firefighters attended to the victims.

Berlin has long had a reputation as being a global capital for LGBTQ+ rights. The city hosted its first Christopher Street Day parade, also known as Berlin Pride, in 1979. One of the most influential Pride events in Europe, the annual celebration draws around 1 million supporters and advocates for the rights, visibility and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people.

Alfonso Pantisano, the Berlin state government’s LGBTQ affairs commissioner, wrote on Instagram in the wake of the attack, “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, who performed on the opening night of Berlin Pride at the Brandenburg Gate Friday, also took to Instagram to deliver a message of solidarity: “Love is never the mistake, fear and hate never an answer,” she wrote.

“Please please stay strong. I will always stand up for us.”

Delivering an address Sunday in the aftermath of the attack, Merz promised there would be consequences and said Germany would remain united despite its political differences. “We will think about consequences, we will defend our freedom,” the chancellor said.

Earlier Sunday, Merz 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.” He continued, “We are open and freedom-loving – and we will preserve and defend that.” He pledged that the attack would be investigated and pursued with the “utmost severity.”

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock, saying that “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.”

The city also activated a crisis hotline for people missing friends or family members.

Overall, more than 2,200 police officers were deployed in Berlin since Saturday morning to protect the Pride parade and other LGBTQ+ events in the city, Reuters reported.

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