A suspect linked to Germany’s Islamist community is on the run after allegedly driving a white van into a crowd near Berlin’s Tiergarten park and attacking several people with a machete.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Saturday. Police report that the van crashed into a tree before the suspect fled the scene. One person was killed and at least 29 others were injured, including three with life‑threatening wounds and eight who sustained serious injuries.
The attack took place a few hundred yards from Berlin’s annual Pride celebration, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ events. Victims included both Pride attendees and other park visitors, but the assault was not on the parade route or the festival’s closing event near the Brandenburg Gate.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as an Islamic terror attack. He noted that the suspect, a German citizen of Lebanese origin, had a history of criminal activity and was associated with Islamist circles in Berlin.
The suspect, born in Germany, had previously received a suspended sentence of one year and ten months. Authorities have not disclosed the specific crimes for which he was convicted.
Berlin police conducted searches in multiple locations overnight, including an apartment in the Schöneberg district, but did not locate the suspect. Police spokesman Florian Nath confirmed that the suspect is known to investigators and that the search is proceeding at full speed.
The manhunt remains active. Authorities have not yet arrested the suspect and are continuing efforts to locate him.
