Berlin Pride attack suspect shot and killed during police operation - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reported that Abdul Ballout, the 21-year-old suspect in a deadly attack during Berlin’s Christopher Street Day Pride events, was shot dead by police during an operation in Spandau, a western borough of the German capital. Police said officers fired after Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese heritage, ran toward them with a knife.

The police operation followed a large manhunt after a white van was driven into people near Tiergarten park shortly before 22:00 local time on Saturday. According to the BBC, one woman was killed and at least 29 people were injured. Police also said several people were stabbed after the vehicle attack. German media, cited by the BBC, reported that the injured were no longer in life-threatening condition.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said evidence indicated the incident was likely an Islamist terror attack. The BBC reported that prosecutors described Ballout as having a record that included prior convictions for robbery and assault, and said he had been sentenced earlier this year for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. Prosecutors also said he had previously travelled via Turkey to Lebanon with the aim of joining Islamic State in Syria, was arrested in Lebanon, and later returned to Germany.

The attack disrupted one of Europe’s best-known Pride gatherings and prompted cancellations of related events in Tiergarten. Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the scene on Sunday and attended a service for victims, while mourners later gathered near the Brandenburg Gate. Dobrindt said Germany’s threat level would be raised and other states would be advised to review security for major events.