Van plows into Berlin Pride crowd, killing one and injuring dozens
A rented van driven into revelers after Berlin's gay Pride parade killed one woman and wounded 29, prompting a police manhunt that ended with the suspect being shot dead.
Police said a 21-year-old suspect drove a rented van into a group of people leaving Berlin's gay Pride celebration in Tiergarten park on Saturday night, killing a woman and injuring 29 others. The attack occurred just outside the security perimeter despite the presence of 2,200 officers, an increase from the previous year, and extensive metal barricades.
"How did he even get into the Tiergarten?" asked attendee Benjamin Bock, who was near the scene minutes before the crash. German authorities classified the incident as Islamist terrorism and identified the suspect as Abdul B., withholding his surname under privacy law. A nationwide manhunt lasted until Sunday evening, when police shot and killed the suspect. The incident follows a rise in threats against Berlin's LGBTQ community, including far-right hostility, prompting heightened security measures for the event.