Berlin police are on the hunt for a 21-year-old man with ties to Islamist extremism, suspected of driving a vehicle into a crowd attending the city’s annual Pride celebration late Saturday night. One person was killed and 16 others were injured in the attack, which took place near the city’s iconic Brandenburg Gate.
Authorities released a photo of the suspect, identified only as Abdul B., on Sunday and asked the public for help tracking him down. Police also noted that it remains unclear whether he acted alone, saying it’s possible more than one person exited the vehicle after it came to a stop in the central Tiergarten park.
Of the 16 people hurt in the attack, three were in life-threatening condition. Some victims suffered stab wounds in addition to injuries from the vehicle strike, according to police and emergency responders.
Organizers of the Christopher Street Day celebration — Berlin’s annual LGBTQ Pride event — called off all remaining festivities following the attack.
Police described the suspect as slim, approximately 1.90 meters tall (about 6 feet 2 inches), with black hair, and last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and white pants. Authorities said he falls within the “Islamist spectrum.” Their public appeal asked simply: “Who can share anything about his current whereabouts?”
Several details about the incident are still being pieced together. Police described the vehicle only broadly as possibly a car, minivan, or minibus. However, the German tabloid Bild reported that the vehicle was a white Citroen Space Tourer delivery vehicle that Abdul B. had rented himself. Bild also reported that police are searching for a second potential attacker.
A police spokesperson at the scene described what happened overnight: “According to our latest information, the vehicle drove into the Tiergarten around 10 p.m., injuring several people in the process, and then came to a standstill after hitting a tree here in the Tiergarten.” The spokesperson added, “It was empty, which is why we are currently working intensively to track down the perpetrator or perpetrators.”
