A large-scale police search is underway in Berlin after a vehicle was driven into a crowd near the Christopher Street Day (CSD) events on Saturday evening. Authorities have identified a primary suspect and classified the incident as an Islamist-motivated attack.
According to a joint statement from Berlin Police and the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Berlin, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on the Ahornsteig in the Großer Tiergarten.
Multiple people were injured in the initial ramming attack. After that, one or more attackers exited the vehicle and proceeded to stab and attack additional individuals.
At least one person was killed — a currently unidentified woman — and 29 others were injured, some seriously. By Sunday afternoon, police reported that none of the injured remained in life-threatening condition.
Berlin Police named the main suspect as 21-year-old Abdul B. He is described as of slim build, approximately 1.90 meters tall, with black hair, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie and white trousers.
Authorities released a photograph and appealed for public tips on his whereabouts or any relevant information. The statement warned that the individual may be armed and dangerous, advising the public not to approach him and to contact emergency services immediately if sighted.
Police further noted the possibility of additional suspects.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the events pointed to an “Islamist terror attack” when addressing the incident on Sunday morning.
He said the suspect was born in Germany and is of Lebanese descent, with his mother having been naturalized in 2002. Dobrindt added that the individual had undergone a process of radicalization, had a record of criminal offenses, and had previously been convicted and sentenced to a suspended term.
After release from juvenile detention in May, the suspect had been required to attend deradicalization counseling sessions, with the next appointment scheduled for the following Monday. Dobrindt further noted that the suspect first drove the vehicle into the crowd and then used a bladed weapon, believed to be a machete, against additional people
Reports indicated that Abdul B. had previously been classified by authorities as a potential threat and had been held in connection with activities including alleged support for or contacts with the Islamic State network.
