Berlin Pride parade cancelled after car rams crowd, killing at least one

Berlin police announced the death toll and injury count overnight into Sunday on social media. They said at least one person was killed and at least 17 people were injured, with several of the wounded sustaining life-threatening injuries. Emergency services treated the injured at the scene.

Police said the identified suspect, 21-year-old Abdul B., is known to authorities and is considered to be part of Berlin's Islamist scene. As of around midnight, the suspect remained at large, and Berlin police issued a public appeal stating: 'We are searching intensively for suspects.'

Suspect and manhunt

Earlier in the day, thousands had marched through central Berlin to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights during the annual Christopher Street Day Parade. The car struck multiple people in Tiergarten Park while the crowd was still gathered following the formal march.

Kai Wegner, the governing mayor of Berlin, condemned the incident in a social media post, expressing that his thoughts were with the victims, their families, and friends. He said he had confidence in the police and security authorities, who would investigate with the utmost urgency.

Political reaction

Wegner also characterised the attack in broader terms, declaring: "Berlin is the city of freedom – and our freedom has been horribly attacked today." He described the incident as an attack on Berlin's free and cosmopolitan society.

Police responded with emergency services and appealed for information as the manhunt continued through the night. The number and severity of injuries were not immediately clear at the time of the initial reporting, and authorities updated the casualty figures as the situation developed.

Background on Christopher Street Day

Christopher Street Day is Berlin's annual Pride parade and ranks among the largest of its kind in Europe. The cancellation marked a sudden end to a day that had been marked by celebration and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

Investigators were working through the night to locate the suspect and establish the full circumstances of the attack. Police have not yet released further details about the motive beyond the suspect's reported links to Islamist circles in Berlin.