Des hommages déposés au parc Tiergarten après l'attaque meurtrière survenu samedi soir à Berlin, lors de la marche des fiertés LGBTQ+ ayant fait au moins un mort et plusieurs blessés, le 26 juillet 2026. Photo Annegret Hilse/Reuters
German police were searching Sunday for a 21-year-old Lebanese-born man suspected of driving a vehicle into crowds at Berlin’s Pride march the previous evening, killing one person and injuring around 30 others.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident appeared to be an "Islamist terrorist attack," raising the number of injured to 29 from an earlier estimate of 16. He identified the suspect as Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin, who police say may be armed and dangerous.
According to German media reports, Ballout had allegedly attempted to join the Islamic State group in Syria in 2025 but was arrested in Lebanon before being sent back to Germany, where he was convicted in 2026 in another case related to preparing a serious act of violence threatening state security.
Police deployed officers Sunday to a building near the attack site, where the suspect was believed to have lived.
The attack took place around 10 p.m. Saturday in Berlin’s Tiergarten park, near the Brandenburg Gate, where hundreds of thousands had gathered for Christopher Street Day (CSD), one of Europe’s largest Pride events.
Police said the suspect drove a white vehicle into pedestrians before crashing into a tree. He then allegedly attacked others with a knife and a blunt weapon, reportedly a machete.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the attack, while EU officials expressed solidarity with the LGBTQ community and victims.
The incident revived memories of previous attacks in Germany and renewed debate over immigration and security, with far-right politicians criticizing the authorities’ handling of individuals considered security risks.
