Police have identified a prime suspect behind a van ramming at a Berlin LGBT Pride party that killed one and injured 16, a man they said is active in Islamist circles.
Berlin police identified the 21-year-old suspect as Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, the Wall Street Journal reported. In a Sunday notice, they asked for the public’s help in finding him, but warned he may be armed and dangerous, so urged people to avoid “direct contact” with him.
Police officers stand near a vehicle crashed into a tree after driving into a crowd near Berlin’s annual Pride event, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
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Police officers stand near a vehicle that crashed into a tree after driving into a crowd near Berlin’s annual Pride event, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
“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,” police spokesman Florian Nath said.
Despite the man’s ties with Islamist circles, police said they weren’t sure of a motive.
The alleged attack occurred around 10 p.m. Saturday local time, when a white van drove into a crowd at Berlin’s Tiergarten park, next to the iconic Brandenburg Gate. After ramming over a dozen people, the attack was stopped when the vehicle collided with a tree.
Along with a woman who was killed, three people were said to be in critical condition, eight were seriously injured, and five had slight injuries, according to Berlin’s fire service. The driver left the vehicle and fled after hitting the tree.
As part of the manhunt, police raided an apartment in the capital, though no one was there.
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“What a heinous act in Berlin. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world were peacefully celebrating at Christopher Street Day. They wanted us to treat each other with kindness and tolerance. This is an attack on our society,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a post on X after the attack.
“We are open and freedom-loving—and we will preserve and defend that. The act will be investigated and pursued with the utmost severity,” he added.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
