Police opened fire on Abdul Ballout, the man suspected of carrying out an Islamist terror attack during Berlin’s Pride parade, killing him and ending a national manhunt. The 21‑year‑old German‑Lebanese citizen was tackled on Ahornsteig in the west‑Berlin borough of Spandau after a white van ploughed into the crowd at Tiergarten Park at about 22:00 on Saturday. The suspect was shot and killed by officers, leaving the city to deal with the fallout. Germany’s threat level will be raised in the aftermath of the attack.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed that evidence pointed to the incident being an "Islamist terror attack". He noted Ballout had a history of criminal offences, radicalisation and associations with Islamist circles. He had travelled to Lebanon in May 2025 to join the Islamic State, was arrested there in July, and later returned to Germany where he faced multiple prosecutions.
The attack shattered the celebratory atmosphere of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest Pride gatherings. Hundreds of people had gathered for the parade when the assault occurred, leading to the cancellation of public events and a citywide vigil at the Brandenburg Gate. Voices from the LGBT community condemned the violence and called for renewed support amid recent budget cuts.
