Berlin police have identified the suspected driver in Saturday night’s deadly vehicle-ramming attack at the city’s Pride celebrations as a figure known to authorities from the local Islamist scene, but he remained at large Sunday as officers worked to arrest him.
“We have now identified a suspected perpetrator. Measures against this suspected perpetrator, who has not yet been arrested, are underway. However, this suspected perpetrator is known to the police as a member of the Islamist scene here in Berlin,” a police spokesperson told reporters at the scene.
Vehicle-ramming attack at Berlin Pride in Germany
(Photo: Reuters)
The attack left one person dead and at least 15 others wounded after a white van drove into a crowd of revelers near Tiergarten Park during Berlin’s annual Pride events.
Police said the vehicle appeared to have been deliberately driven at participants before leaving the scene, prompting a major manhunt across the German capital.
Emergency crews treated victims at the scene, while several roads in central Berlin were closed as police secured the area and searched for evidence.
Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s name or provided further details about his alleged links to Islamist circles. Police also have not formally announced a motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The identification of the suspect marks a significant development in the inquiry, which began immediately after the van struck the crowd Saturday night.
Investigators are examining the vehicle’s movements, witness testimony and surveillance footage from the area as they seek to determine how the attack was planned and whether anyone else was involved.
Berlin Pride draws large crowds each year and is one of Germany’s most prominent LGBTQ events. The attack sent revelers fleeing in panic and cast a shadow over celebrations across the city.
Police urged the public to avoid speculation while the search for the suspect continued and said further information would be released as the investigation developed.
First published: 01:07, 07.26.26