Saturday’s celebration of LGBTQ+ pride in Berlin turned tragic when a white van plowed into crowds gathered at one of Europe’s largest Pride events, killing one person and injuring at least 16 others. The attack prompted police to immediately call off the festivities and launch an intensive manhunt for the suspect.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. local time in Tiergarten Park, a central location just off the route of Berlin’s famed Christopher Street Day Pride parade. According to police, the white van struck several people before colliding with a tree. Witnesses reported seeing a man exit the vehicle and flee the scene on foot, leaving authorities searching for at least one suspect.
Berlin police identified the suspect as someone known to them with ties to Islamic circles in the German capital. “The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” said police spokesman Florian Nath. However, authorities cautioned that they had no information about the suspect’s specific motives or the exact sequence of events at this stage of the investigation.
The attack devastated what had begun as a peaceful celebration. Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered in Berlin on Saturday to participate in the annual Pride parade, also known as Christopher Street Day in Germany. Before the attack, participants marched through the city for hours, dancing to loud music and cheering approximately 80 floats in one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations. The pride event at the Brandenburg Gate, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10:15 p.m., with a band’s performance on stage interrupted as emergency services rushed to the scene.
Police reported that several victims suffered life-threatening injuries. Some witnesses described seeing people with stab wounds at the scene, prompting authorities to investigate whether a second, non-vehicular phase occurred during the incident. Investigators cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about these accounts. Emergency personnel transported the injured to hospitals, with firefighters and ambulances responding in large numbers to assist those affected.
Over 2,200 police officers had been deployed throughout Berlin since Saturday morning to protect the Pride parade and other LGBTQ+ events in the city. Following the attack, authorities urged the public to leave the area immediately and called on possible witnesses to come forward with any video or photos they might have captured at the scene. Berlin activated a crisis hotline for people seeking information about missing friends or family members.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock and condemned the attack as an assault on the city’s values. “Following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner,” Wegner said. “This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society. I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate.”
Police conducted witness interrogations throughout the night and searched for additional details about the incident. They asked the public to avoid speculation as the investigation continued and said more information would be released as developments emerged. The search for the suspect remained ongoing as authorities worked to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack and bring those responsible to justice.