German police shot and killed the suspected perpetrator of the deadly Berlin Pride attack during a confrontation on Sunday, ending a search that lasted almost 24 hours. Authorities said the 21-year-old German citizen was suspected of driving a white van into people near the Christopher Street Day celebrations on Saturday night and then attacking others with a machete. One woman died and 29 people were injured, according to the latest Associated Press report.
Berlin police said officers located the suspect at about 6 p.m. on Sunday in a garden in Spandau, a suburb of the capital. Police reported that he ran toward officers with a sharp object, prompting at least one officer to fire. He died at the scene. The account remains subject to the formal investigation that normally follows a fatal police shooting.
The violence began around 10 p.m. on Saturday when the van entered a track in Tiergarten park, struck several people and crashed into a tree. Officials stressed that the site was several hundred metres from the festival route and the closing party near Brandenburg Gate, although the crowd likely included festival participants as well as other residents and visitors. Organisers cancelled the remaining celebrations and related events.
Prosecutors said the suspect, a German national with Lebanese roots, had travelled to Lebanon in 2025 intending to reach Syria and join the Islamic State group. A Berlin juvenile court convicted him in May of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state and publishing militant propaganda. He received a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months and had been released while prosecutors appealed, authorities said.
German officials described the ramming and stabbings as a suspected Islamist extremist terrorist attack. Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the country to remain united and said violence must not intimidate Pride participants or undermine Germany's openness and freedom. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said security arrangements for other major events, including forthcoming Pride gatherings, would be reviewed and strengthened where necessary.
Hundreds of mourners placed flowers, candles and rainbow flags near Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, while Reuters reported that thousands attended a community vigil. Berlin Pride is one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ events and draws hundreds of thousands of people. Amsterdam, which is hosting WorldPride this week, said it was monitoring security while seeking to protect the celebratory character of its programme.
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