The deadly attack in Berlin at a Pride event on Saturday (25/07) is being classified as “terrorism or a politically motivated violent crime of national significance.” Germany is in shock over the events that unfolded during the annual Pride parade, also known as Christopher Street Day, when a van plowed into a crowd, killing one woman and injuring 14 people. Berlin authorities are now conducting a manhunt for the suspected perpetrator, a 21-year-old German of Lebanese descent.
Read also: Berlin: One woman dead and 16 injured at Pride after vehicle rams into crowd — mayor calls it “an attack on our free and open society” (Images)
Berlin: Profile of the 21-year-old suspect in the deadly Pride attack
Berlin authorities are searching for Abdul Rahman Taufiq Balout, the 21-year-old prime suspect in the attack, who is known to German security services and is believed to be a supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS). According to BILD, he is a German citizen of Lebanese origin, born in Berlin in 2005. Until last May, he was held in a juvenile detention facility on charges including assault and extortion, and is considered a supporter of the ISIS terrorist organization. Police have already searched his apartment but failed to locate him. A neighbor told FOCUS magazine that he has known the suspect since childhood and described the overnight police raid as “absolute chaos,” noting that doors of neighboring apartments were damaged when police used a controlled explosion to force entry into the suspect’s unit.
Earlier, police issued an urgent public appeal, releasing the suspect’s photo and personal details and asking for the public’s help. The man is described as slim, approximately 1.90m tall, with dark hair, and was believed to be wearing a black hoodie and white trousers. “Has anyone witnessed anything that could be connected to this crime? Can anyone provide information about his possible current whereabouts? If you encounter him, please do not approach him under any circumstances and avoid direct contact. He may be armed and dangerous! Call the police emergency number 110 immediately,” the police statement read. An earlier police spokesperson had confirmed there was no information yet “regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his precise role in the attack.”
FOCUS magazine reports that special forces are closely monitoring train stations, metro stations, and the country’s borders, while German authorities are alerting neighboring countries. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that Abdul Balout had an accomplice.
Merz: An attack against our society
Chancellor Friedrich Merz took to X (formerly Twitter) to once again condemn the attack as an “abhorrent act” and “an attack against our society,” carried out during “a peaceful celebration attended by hundreds of thousands of people” from around the world. “They wanted us to treat each other with kindness and tolerance. This is an attack on our society,” he stated, adding: “We are open and we love freedom — and we will preserve and defend it. This act will be investigated and prosecuted with the utmost severity. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and I wish the injured a swift recovery. My thanks go to all emergency responders.”
Was für eine abscheuliche Tat in Berlin. Hunderttausende Menschen aus aller Welt feierten friedlich beim Christopher Street Day. Sie wollten, dass wir gut und tolerant miteinander umgehen.
Das ist ein Angriff auf unsere Gesellschaft.— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) July 26, 2026
Berlin: Timeline of the deadly Gay Pride attack
At 10:15 PM local time on Saturday, thousands of people were still celebrating in Berlin’s central Tiergarten park during Christopher Street Day — one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride events — when a white van drove into the crowd, injuring 15 people. One woman later succumbed to her injuries before she could be transported to hospital. The vehicle came to a stop after hitting a tree, and the driver fled the scene on foot. According to German media reports, he was carrying a sharp object, possibly a knife, which he brandished toward the crowd.
