German police launch manhunt for suspect after vehicle attack at Berlin Pride
Police are searching for a 21-year-old man believed to have driven a vehicle into a crowd at Berlin's Pride festival, killing one person and injuring 16 others, and may have also used a bladed weapon.
German authorities have opened a manhunt for a 21-year-old suspect after a vehicle was driven into a crowd at Berlin's Pride festival in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday night. The attack killed a woman and left 16 people injured, three of them with life-threatening injuries, according to fire department spokesman Dominik Pretz.
Police released a photo of the suspect, identified as Abdul B., and described him as a German citizen of Lebanese background who is known to police for prior crimes, including a previous prison sentence that was later commuted to parole. He is described as 1.9 m tall, slim, with black hair, wearing a black hoodie and white pants. Authorities warned the public to avoid direct contact, stating he may be armed and dangerous.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident appears to be an Islamist-motivated attack and noted the possibility of copycat attacks, adding that Germany's threat level would be raised. Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the act as “heinous” and pledged a thorough investigation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy to victims, emphasizing that Pride events stand for freedom, dignity and equality.
The white vehicle used in the attack was later found crashed into a tree within a police cordon. Pride celebrations, which had drawn hundreds of thousands of participants, were halted shortly after the attack and subsequently cancelled.