German police hunt suspect after Berlin Pride attack kills one, injures 16

German authorities were searching on Sunday, July 26, for a suspect after a van drove into people near Berlin’s Pride festival, killing one person and injuring at least 16 others.

Police and prosecutors issued a public wanted notice for a 21-year-old man identified only as Abdul B. They warned the public not to approach him, saying he could be armed and dangerous. Investigators said one or more people apparently left the vehicle after it crashed, and that several victims may also have been stabbed.

The white van entered the Tiergarten park shortly before 10 p.m. on Saturday, near the route of the Pride march, struck people on a path and hit a tree, police said. The vehicle was empty when officers reached it. A multi-agency search involving helicopters was under way across the German capital.

Police said they were still working to establish the suspect’s precise role, motive and the sequence of events. A police spokesperson said the man was known to authorities and had links to Islamist circles in Berlin, but investigators had not announced a definitive motive.

The attack forced organisers to cut short the Pride event, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day. Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged a full investigation, while Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the violence as an attack on the city’s freedom and openness.