Berlin police said a car drove into a crowd at the Christopher Street Day Pride event on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Tiergarten park, killing one person and injuring at least 29 others; authorities identified a 21-year-old suspect as Abdul Ballout and launched a manhunt after saying he was known to police and connected to Islamist circles, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said authorities believe the attack was motivated by Islamist extremist ideology.
Police and emergency services said the driver of a white vehicle struck people on a footpath in the park shortly before 10 p.m. local time; firefighters and ambulances were on the scene. Officers called off the event in front of the Brandenburg Gate around 10:15 p.m., urged attendees to leave the area and avoid the Tiergarten route, and a police officer said in a short video posted on the Berlin police X account, "We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects."
Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin for one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ celebrations, and earlier in the day the parade passed through the park with dozens of floats, live music and a march. A band's performance onstage at the Brandenburg Gate was interrupted, and Julian Miethig, who had attended the event, said, "It's a dark day for the community."
Berlin's fire service said of the injured, three have life-threatening injuries, eight were seriously injured and five had slight injuries. Police said some victims also suffered stab wounds; authorities have not identified the person who died.
Police released a photo of the suspect and described him as having a slim build, about 1.9 meters tall with black hair and wearing a black hoodie and white pants, and warned that he should not be approached because he "may be armed and dangerous." A police wanted notice advised the public to avoid direct contact and to call the emergency number 110 if they see him. A white vehicle suspected of being used in the attack was pictured inside a police cordon and appeared to have crashed into a tree; the heavily damaged vehicle remained at the site into Sunday morning.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Ballout was born in Germany, that his mother was naturalized in 2002, and that the suspect is part of Berlin's "Islamist scene" and known to authorities. Dobrindt said Ballout had been convicted in Berlin previously and given a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months. Police searched an apartment in the Schöneberg district early Sunday but found no one there.
Investigators said they are working to determine whether the suspect acted alone, and that one or more people may have fled the vehicle after it stopped. Dobrindt said the suspect is believed to have injured people with a machete. He also warned that authorities "cannot rule out the possibility that further terrorist attacks might take place" and said Germany's threat level would be raised following the attack.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the crash as a "heinous act" and said, "This is an attack on our society." Alfonso Pantisano, the Berlin state government's queer liaison officer, wrote that Saturday "should have been a day of joy, visibility and freedom," and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy for the victims, saying Pride stands for "freedom, dignity, and equality."