Police kill suspect in Berlin Pride van attack, authorities label it Islamist terrorism
A van ramming near Berlin's Christopher Street Day parade killed one person and injured dozens; the suspect was shot dead by police and the incident is being investigated as an Islamist terrorist attack.
Police in Berlin shot dead the suspect believed to have driven a van into a crowd near the Christopher Street Day (CSD) celebrations in Tiergarten Park on Saturday night. The attack left one person dead and 29 injured. Authorities said the suspect, identified as Abdul B., was armed with a bladed weapon when officers confronted him at a garden allotment in the Spandau district and died despite resuscitation attempts.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told public broadcaster ARD that the case is being treated as an Islamist terrorist attack and that there is no indication of an ongoing threat, although investigators continue to examine possible accomplices. The federal prosecutor's office will take over the investigation, Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the violence, urging citizens not to be intimidated, while President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the incident as an assault on Germany's open society. The attack has sparked debate over security policies, with parties across the spectrum offering differing responses.
A minute of silence was observed at the Brandenburg Gate, and flags at the Bundestag were lowered to half-staff in mourning.