A major manhunt is under way in Berlin after a vehicle was driven into crowds at the city’s Pride celebrations, leaving one person dead and 17 injured, with police identifying the fugitive suspect as 21-year-old Abdul B. and warning he may be armed and dangerous.
A major police operation is under way in Berlin after a vehicle was driven into a crowd near the city’s Pride celebrations, leaving one person dead and at least 17 others injured. The nearby Pride parade was cancelled hours after it had begun. German police and prosecutors have since issued a public wanted notice identifying the fugitive suspect as 21-year-old Abdul B., warning the public to avoid “direct contact” with him and stating he may be armed and dangerous.
What investigators believe happened
Police say the suspect is believed to have injured several people using a moving vehicle, which came to a stop after crashing into a tree inside Tiergarten Park. Investigators now believe one or more people left the vehicle after it stopped, and that several victims were also stabbed, suggesting the attack may have involved more than the vehicle alone. The suspect is reported to have fled the scene following the crash.
At least 17 people were injured in total, with eight described as suffering serious injuries and three said to be in a life-threatening condition.
The suspect
Police spokesman Florian Nath confirmed that the suspect is known to Berlin police. “The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” Nath said. He added that investigators currently have “no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself.” Authorities have stressed that, despite the suspect’s known links to Berlin’s Islamist scene, a motive for the attack has not yet been established.
Police response
Berlin police have appealed to the public for any photos, videos or witness information from people who were in the area at the time, to assist with the ongoing investigation. More than 2,200 police officers had already been deployed across Berlin for the Pride celebrations before the attack took place, with the security operation significantly expanded following the incident as the manhunt for Abdul B. continues.
Official reaction
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the incident as an attack on the city’s values of freedom, tolerance and diversity. Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged that authorities would do everything possible to apprehend those responsible.
Background
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered peacefully across Berlin earlier in the day for the city’s Christopher Street Day celebrations, one of Europe’s largest Pride events, before the attack brought the festivities to an abrupt end. Organisers cancelled the remainder of the event, instructing attendees to leave the area calmly, while police issued an urgent warning for the public to avoid the Tiergarten area as the emergency operation and manhunt continued.
