Suspect in Berlin Pride van attack shot dead by police
German authorities confirm Islamist terror motive as Interior Minister raises national threat level and Chancellor pledges to defend societal openness.
German police shot and killed Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese heritage, in the Spandau borough of Berlin on Sunday. The fatal encounter concluded a large-scale manhunt triggered by a white van ramming attack near Tiergarten park on Saturday evening, which authorities have described as a likely Islamist terror attack. Ballout rushed at officers with a knife during the operation, prompting them to open fire.
The incident occurred just before 22:00 local time on Saturday, when a white van was driven into a crowd near Tiergarten park. The attack resulted in the death of one woman and injured at least 29 other people. Following the initial ramming, police reported that several individuals were also injured in a subsequent stabbing attack at the scene. German media have since confirmed that those injured are no longer in a life-threatening condition.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed that evidence points to an Islamist terror attack, citing Ballout’s history of radicalisation and previous convictions. Dobrindt stated that the suspect had drawn attention to himself through a high volume of criminal offences and affiliation with the Islamist scene. In response to the attack, the national threat level has been raised, and other states have been advised to review security measures for major events.
A statement from the Berlin public prosecutor’s office detailed Ballout’s criminal and radicalisation history. In May 2025, he travelled via Turkey to Lebanon with the intention of joining the Islamic State group in Syria, where he allegedly contacted IS members. He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and sentenced to three months in prison for incitement to religious and sectarian conflict. Upon returning to Germany in November 2025, he was arrested at Berlin Brandenburg Airport and held in pre-trial detention.
In May this year, Ballout was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. The sentence was deferred for six months, and he was placed under parole supervision. He also had previous convictions for assault and robbery in 2022, and robbery of headphones in 2020. Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the scene on Sunday and pledged to defend the freedom and openness of German society, stating that extremists have no place in the country.
The attack disrupted Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest Pride events. A planned clean-up and breakfast market at Tiergarten park were cancelled, and members of the LGBT community held an impromptu vigil at the Brandenburg Gate. While speakers condemned extremism, some criticised the government for budget cuts affecting queer organisations. Armin Duenhoelter, a drag artist who was backstage during the attack, expressed shock but vowed to return for next year’s celebration.
