Berlin police have identified a suspect following an apparent vehicle attack near the city’s Pride celebrations that killed one person and injured at least 16 others.
The man, who had not been arrested by Sunday morning, is known to police as a member of Berlin’s “Islamist scene”, according to a police spokesperson.
However, investigators stressed that the suspect’s motive, exact involvement and the full sequence of events remained unclear. Reuters reported that 17 people were injured, while Berlin fire officials placed the number at at least 16. Eight people were seriously wounded, including three whose lives were believed to be at risk.
Vehicle Drove Into Tiergarten
The incident occurred at about 10 pm on Saturday, 25 July, following Berlin’s annual Christopher Street Day celebrations.
Police said a white vehicle entered the city’s Tiergarten park, close to the Brandenburg Gate and the route used by Pride marchers earlier in the day. It struck several people before crashing into a tree.
The vehicle was empty when emergency services reached it, prompting an intensive search for whoever had been driving.
“According to our latest information, the vehicle drove … into the Tiergarten around 10 pm, injuring several people in the process, and then came to a standstill after hitting a tree here in the Tiergarten,” a police spokesperson said.
“It was empty, which is why we are currently working intensively to track down the perpetrator or perpetrators.”
A witness cited by German newspaper Bild reportedly said a man emerged from the vehicle and fled on foot. Police had not publicly confirmed that account.
Officers were also investigating reports that some victims may have suffered stab wounds, although authorities said it was too early to determine whether those injuries were connected to the incident.
Suspect Known to Police
Police later announced that they had identified at least one suspected perpetrator.
“We have now identified a suspected perpetrator. Measures against this suspected perpetrator, who has not yet been arrested, are under way,” a spokesperson told reporters.
“However, this suspected perpetrator is known to the police as a member of the Islamist scene here in Berlin.”
Police spokesperson Florian Nath cautioned that investigators had not yet established the man’s motivation or exact role.
“We still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself,” Nath said.
Authorities appealed for witnesses to submit photographs, videos and other information recorded around the Tiergarten at the time of the incident.
Pride Celebrations Brought to an Abrupt End
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered peacefully throughout the day for Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.
The festivities were called off shortly after the vehicle struck the crowd. A concert near the Brandenburg Gate was interrupted, and attendees were instructed to leave the area and avoid travelling through the park.
More than 2,200 police officers had been deployed across Berlin to protect the parade and related LGBTQ+ events.
Julian Miethig, who attended the celebrations, described the incident as devastating for the city’s queer community.
“It’s one of the worst days for the queer community and a day I personally hoped I’d never have to experience … I’m shocked,” he said.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the incident as an assault on the values represented by the city and its Pride celebrations.
“Following a peaceful and colourful CSD, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner,” Wegner said.
“This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the incident must be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
A Major Event in Berlin’s LGBTQ+ Calendar
Christopher Street Day commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, widely considered a defining moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Berlin’s first Christopher Street Day march was held in West Berlin in 1979. It has since grown from a small political demonstration into one of the city’s largest annual cultural and civil-rights events.
The celebration combines a parade with political demands for equality, inclusion and protection from discrimination. More than 80 floats and 50 groups on foot took part in the 2026 procession before the evening’s events were cut short.
As the manhunt continues, police have not formally confirmed that LGBTQ+ people were specifically targeted or that extremist ideology motivated the apparent attack.
The suspect’s reported connection to the Islamist scene is therefore one part of an active investigation rather than proof of motive or responsibility.
