The man suspected of carrying out a likely Islamist terror attack at Berlin Pride has been shot and killed by police. Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese heritage, was killed in the Spandau borough on Sunday afternoon when he rushed at officers with a knife. The incident concluded a massive manhunt that began after a white van was driven into a crowd near Tiergarten park on Saturday evening.

The attack, which occurred just before 22:00 local time on Saturday, resulted in the death of one woman and left at least 29 others injured. Police stated that further stabbing incidents occurred after the initial vehicle ramming. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the evidence as pointing towards an Islamist terror attack.

Dobrindt revealed that Ballout had previously come to the attention of authorities due to a significant criminal record, signs of radicalization, and connections to the Islamist scene. The Berlin public prosecutor's office detailed Ballout's history, including a trip to Lebanon in May 2025 with the intent to join the Islamic State group in Syria. While in Lebanon, he allegedly made contact with individuals he believed were IS members.

Ballout was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and served three months in prison for inciting religious and sectarian conflict. He returned to Germany in November 2025, where he was detained at Berlin Brandenburg Airport and held in pre-trial detention. In May of this year, he received a sentence of one year and 10 months for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, with the sentence deferred for six months and placed under parole supervision.

Prior convictions for Ballout include assault and robbery in 2022, and a robbery offense in 2020. Following the attack, Dobrindt announced that Germany's national threat level would be elevated, and other countries were being informed and advised to review security for major events.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the attack site in Tiergarten park on Sunday and attended a church service honoring the victims. He pledged to defend the freedom and openness of German society, stating that extremists have no place within it and that Germany would not succumb to terrorism.

The attack disrupted Berlin's Christopher Street Day, a major Pride event that typically draws hundreds of thousands of participants. Reports indicate that the individuals injured in the attack are no longer in life-threatening condition. Police identified Ahornsteig street in the Tiergarten park as the location where people were struck by the vehicle.

The swift apprehension and subsequent death of the suspect bring a dramatic conclusion to the immediate search for those responsible. However, investigations are likely to continue into the full extent of any potential network or support for the alleged perpetrator's actions.