Pictured: ‘Islamist’ suspect, 21, in Berlin Pride attack identified by police – as manhunt continues after at least one dead and 16 injured
German authorities have identified the suspect wanted in connection with crashing a minibus near Berlin’s Pride Festival, killing one person and injuring at least 16 others, as a massive manhunt continues.
Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Abdul B, who was described as slim, approximately 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, with black hair.
He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and white pants. The public was warned not to approach him because he could be armed and dangerous.
Police and prosecutors said the suspect is believed to have used a moving vehicle, injuring several people, before one or more people left the van.
It appears that several people were also stabbed, they added.
Police had previously announced that they had identified a suspect with links to Islamic groups in the German capital.
‘It was learned that the suspect was known to the police. Police spokesman Florian Nath said he was known as a member of Islamic circles in Berlin and our search for this person continues at full speed.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the incident late Saturday evening as ‘an attack on our society’.
“What a disgusting behavior in Berlin,” Merz wrote in his post on X. He added that Germany loves freedom and we will protect and defend it.
The attack occurred Saturday evening, close to the city’s annual Pride celebrations, and triggered a major emergency response and prompted authorities to launch a massive manhunt.
Police and prosecutors issued a wanted notice for 21-year-old Abdul B on Sunday and asked for the public’s help in tracking him.
Picture: Police walk next to a vehicle that crashed into a crowd near the annual Christopher Street Day Pride Parade in Berlin on Saturday
Picture: Police and security personnel work near the scene where several people were injured during the Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade
Police have not yet announced the cause of the incident, but are investigating it on suspicion of an extremist attack.
Authorities continue to appeal for witnesses and urge anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to contact police directly and avoid direct confrontation.
Nath added that investigators had no knowledge of ‘his specific motives’.
Speaking to the German Press Agency (dpa), a spokesman said that the German federal prosecutor’s office is in contact with investigators in Berlin regarding the attack on the Pride Parade in Berlin.
Germany’s top prosecutor’s office usually takes over investigations, especially when serious terrorism is involved.
But so far they have not officially taken over the case.
According to police, a white van entered Tiergarten park around 10pm and hit several people before crashing into a tree.
The closing party for the Pride festival, known as Christopher Street Day, was underway nearby at the time, following a parade of about 80 trucks that had passed through downtown Berlin earlier in the day.
Police said a woman was killed. The Berlin fire brigade said three people suffered life-threatening injuries, eight others were seriously injured and five people had minor injuries.
Firefighters, ambulances and other emergency services were at the park to assist victims. A helicopter landing pad was located near the Reichstag.
Julian Miethig, who attended the LGBTQ+ party, said he wanted to go to the afterparty when he heard from a friend that ‘something bad was happening’.
He said he went to the Tiergarten and was shocked that something like this could have happened during the Pride celebrations in Berlin. ‘It’s a dark day for society,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Berlin Urban Development Senator Christian Gaebler warned against speculating about the incident.
He insisted it was too early to say whether there was a reason behind the crash. ‘This didn’t even happen at the event itself, it actually happened at the Tiergarten,’ he said.
People wrapped in security blankets hug each other near the scene where several people were injured during the Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade in Berlin
The driver of the minibus carried out a ‘brutal attack’ on a crowd near Pride celebrations in Berlin on Saturday evening
Picture: The crashed vehicle used in the crime while the area was cordoned off
Picture: Police officers work in the area after Berlin’s annual Christopher Street Day Pride was canceled
The Pride Parade near the Brandenburg Gate was canceled at around 22.15, and a band’s performance on stage was also interrupted.
Organizers of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day pride celebrations canceled two events following the attack.
Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin to celebrate on Saturday, but it was unclear how many people were still at the festival by late evening.
One of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.
The word ‘Evacuation’ was displayed in bright colors on a large screen near the Brandenburg Gate.
People were urged to return home and avoid using the route through Tiergarten park, instructing them to leave ‘in an orderly manner’ in an Instagram post.
‘Please avoid the Victory Column and the Tiergarten. Leave the area in the direction of the main railway station,’ the post read.
Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully in the city, marching, dancing and cheering, with about 80 people participating in the parade.
