Christopher Street Day attack in Berlin: What we know so far
On Saturday evening, a white van drove into a crowd near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, killing one woman and injuring 29 others at an LGBTQ+ pride event. The main suspect, a 21-year-old German national with a history of radicalization, was shot dead by police on Sunday.
Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, a white van drove into a crowd approximately 100 meters from a Christopher Street Day celebration near the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. Police spokesman Florian Nath said the van drove through the park parallel to a main road, struck several people, and crashed into a tree. The driver then left the vehicle and fled in an unknown direction. The van was privately owned, not a rental, and was removed from the scene on Sunday.
One woman died, and 29 people were injured, several of them seriously. By Sunday afternoon, police confirmed that none of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt added that the suspect also allegedly attacked people with a blade-like weapon, possibly a machete, before fleeing.
The main suspect is Abdul B., 21, a German-born citizen of German citizenship. His mother has Lebanese origins. Prosecutors say he shared propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) militant group online and had recently unsuccessfully attempted to join IS in Syria. He later distanced himself from the group. Interior Minister Dobrindt said Abdul B. was known to authorities for a "high number" of previous attacks and for being radicalized.
On Sunday evening, Berlin's Senate Department for Interior Affairs confirmed that the fugitive suspect was shot dead by police in a garden allotment in Spandau, Berlin's westernmost borough. Dobrindt later stated that there was no longer any danger to the public.
The precise motive has not been established, but authorities are treating the incident as an Islamist terror attack. "Everything we see here indicates that this was an Islamist terror attack," Dobrindt said. The Federal Public Prosecutor General has taken over the investigation.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to grieve the victims and express anger and shock over the attack on the LGBTQ+ community. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called it "an attack on our open society, our way of life and our ability to live together." Chancellor Friedrich Merz described it as a "heinous" attack on society.
The deadly ramming is reminiscent of similar attacks in recent years, raising concerns about police preparedness for large events and security responses to known criminals. With state elections approaching in Germany, the attack is likely to intensify debates on migration and security, issues that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been capitalizing on.
