The suspect accused of driving a minivan into a crowd near Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride celebrations has been shot dead by police after being located in the city’s Spandau district.
According to Berlin police, officers found the 21-year-old suspect at an allotment garden complex around 6:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. Authorities said the man charged at officers while armed with a knife, prompting police to open fire. Despite emergency treatment by paramedics, he died at the scene.
The attack took place at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Saturday in Tiergarten Park near the Brandenburg Gate, close to one of Europe’s largest annual LGBTQ Pride events. Officials confirmed that one person was killed and 29 others were injured when the minivan plowed into pedestrians.
Earlier on Sunday, Berlin police identified the suspect as Abdul B., 21, releasing his photograph and asking the public for assistance in locating him.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the suspect was a German citizen of Lebanese descent, born in Germany in 2005. He added that the man had previously come to the attention of authorities due to numerous criminal offenses, signs of radicalization, and alleged links to the Islamist extremist scene.
A spokesperson for Germany’s federal prosecutor confirmed that the individual shot by police was the suspect sought in connection with the deadly vehicle attack.
The incident is the latest in a string of vehicle-ramming attacks in Germany in recent years, reigniting national debate over public security, extremism, and immigration amid growing political support for the far right.
Ahead of a memorial service at St. Mary’s Church in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the attack and vowed to defend Germany’s democratic values.
“We will defend the freedom, openness, and liberal spirit of our lives and our society with everything we can do,” Merz said.