Berlin Pride ramming: Police shoot suspect dead - DW.com

What the report says

DW reported that Berlin police shot and killed the suspected perpetrator of a deadly van ramming linked to the city’s Pride celebrations, after authorities located him on Sunday in a garden allotment in Spandau, on Berlin’s western edge. Police said officers opened fire when the man advanced on them with a bladed weapon; firefighters attempted to revive him, but he died at the scene. The operation followed Saturday night’s attack near Tiergarten Park, close to the Christopher Street Day Parade, in which one woman was killed and 29 people were injured.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the case was being handled as an “Islamist terrorist attack.” Speaking to ARD, he said authorities did not see evidence of a continuing public threat, while adding that investigators were still examining whether anyone else had played a role. Police indicated they were not actively searching for additional suspects at the scene, though the inquiry remained open.

DW cited Berlin judicial authorities as saying the suspect had previously made unsuccessful attempts to leave Germany and join the “Islamic State” group, including travel through Turkey and Lebanon. According to prosecutors, he was jailed by a Lebanese military court, returned to Germany in November 2025 and was later held in pre-trial detention after arriving at Berlin’s airport.

The attack prompted vigils and public displays of solidarity with Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community. The Brandenburg Gate was lit in Pride colors on Sunday evening, with hundreds gathering to mourn the victims. Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Christopher Street Day supporters and the wider public not to be intimidated, saying political violence is rooted in intolerance and discrimination.