Berlin LGBTQ Pride event attack: Suspect shot dead by police in encounter
The suspect, identified by police as Abdul B, 21, was located in an allotment garden complex in Berlin’s Spandau district, hours after the vehicle attack near the city’s Tiergarten park.
A suspected Islamist extremist accused of driving a minivan into a crowd near a major LGBTQ Pride gathering in Berlin was shot dead by police on Sunday, authorities said.
The suspect, identified by police as Abdul B, 21, was located in an allotment garden complex in Berlin’s Spandau district, hours after the vehicle attack near the city’s Tiergarten park.
Berlin police said the suspect approached officers while carrying a bladed weapon, prompting them to open fire.
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A suspect drove a minivan into a crowd near the Berlin Pride event, resulting in one death and 29 injuries. The attacker was later shot dead by police.
The suspect, identified as Abdul B., was a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent with a history of criminal offenses and links to Islamist extremism.
The attack has renewed concerns over public safety and radicalization in Germany, contributing to the growing support for far-right political movements advocating for stricter immigration policies.
Police located the suspect in an allotment garden, and when he approached them armed with a bladed weapon, they opened fire, resulting in his death.
The attack has prompted calls for enhanced security measures at public events to protect citizens and prevent future incidents, highlighting the ongoing debate over safety in Germany.
“Around 6 p.m., the suspect involved in yesterday's attack in Tiergarten was located at an allotment garden complex in Spandau,” police said in a post on X.
“According to initial findings, he ran towards officers while armed with a bladed weapon; police subsequently opened fire. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts by the Berlin Fire Department, he died at the scene.”
A spokesperson for Germany’s federal prosecutors confirmed that one person had been shot and declared dead.
Minivan attack near Pride event
The attack took place around 10 pm on Saturday (July 25) in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate, close to one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ celebrations, Christopher Street Day.
Authorities said the suspect drove a minivan into pedestrians, killing one person and injuring 29 others.
Police launched a search operation after the attack and released the suspect’s photograph while appealing to the public for information about his whereabouts.
Suspect had previous criminal record, authorities say
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the suspect had previously come to authorities’ attention due to multiple criminal offences and alleged links to Islamist circles.
“He attracted attention in the past through a high number of criminal offences, through radicalisation, through membership of the Islamist scene,” Dobrindt said.
Officials said Abdul B was a German citizen of Lebanese heritage, born in Germany in 2005.
Investigators are examining the motive behind the attack.
Security and immigration debate intensifies
The incident is the latest in a series of vehicle attacks targeting crowds in Germany, renewing debate over security, radicalisation and immigration policies.
The attacks have contributed to growing support for Germany’s far-right political movements, which have pushed for tougher immigration controls and stronger security measures.
Chancellor Merz calls for defence of liberal values
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged citizens to defend the country’s democratic and liberal values during a memorial service at St Mary’s Church in Berlin.
“We will defend the freedom, openness, and liberal spirit of our lives and our society with everything we can do,” Merz said.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the suspect’s alleged radicalisation and possible links to extremist networks.
LGBTQ community mourns victims
Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial near the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, leaving flowers, candles, rainbow flags and messages of support.
A sign at the memorial read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Ashley Jump, a 26-year-old UK resident who had travelled to Berlin for the Pride celebrations, returned to the site to pay tribute.
“They’ll never erase us, we’ll never be gone,” Jump said. “As long as humanity has existed, we’ve existed. And as long as humanity exists, we will exist. We will not be removed.”
Andre Lehmann, a senior official from Germany’s LGBTQ association LSVD, described the attack as a major blow to the community.
“We are simply stunned by what happened,” he said. “This suspected attack hits the heart of the queer community.”
Germany’s history of extremist attacks
The Berlin attack has renewed concerns over Islamist extremism and public security in Germany.
Berlin has previously witnessed major extremist attacks, including the 2016 Christmas market attack, when a rejected Tunisian asylum seeker drove a hijacked truck into a crowd, killing 13 people and injuring dozens.
In another incident last year, a Syrian man stabbed and seriously injured a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial. He was later convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
(With AP inputs)
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