Berlin police have publicly identified the man they believe is responsible for Saturday night’s deadly attack on the city’s Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations Ā as Abdul B., 21, revealing that the suspect was already known to law enforcement and had previously been classified as belonging to the capital’s “Islamist spectrum”.
Abdul B. remains at large following an intensive overnight search involving armed officers and specialist investigators.
Authorities have urged members of the public not to approach him, warning that he should be considered potentially dangerous.
Police have also acknowledged that investigators are examining whether he acted alone or whether other suspects were involved.
The attack unfolded shortly after 10 p.m. near Berlin’s Tiergarten, close to the Brandenburg Gate, as thousands of participants were leaving one of Europe’s largest Pride events.
A vehicle drove into crowds gathered near the celebrations before coming to a halt after striking a tree.
One person was killed and sixteen others were injured, with three victims reported to be in life-threatening condition. Emergency services have also confirmed that several casualties suffered stab wounds, prompting investigators to explore the possibility that more than one form of violence occurred during the incident.
The decision by Berlin police to publicly identify Abdul B. marks a significant development in the investigation.
Speaking at the scene, a police spokesman stated that the suspect was already familiar to officers and was regarded as belonging to Berlin’s “Islamist scene” or “Islamist spectrum”. That official description has become central to the investigation, distinguishing the case from incidents where ideological motivation is initially unclear.
Police have since published the suspect’s photograph and appealed directly to the public for assistance in tracing his whereabouts. Investigators say the vehicle was found abandoned after the attack, raising the possibility that more than one individual may have fled the scene before police arrived.
The revelation that the suspect was already known to authorities is likely to intensify political scrutiny in Germany, where previous attacks involving individuals previously identified by security agencies have prompted difficult questions about surveillance, intelligence sharing and preventive policing.
While investigators have not yet disclosed the full extent of Abdul B.’s previous interactions with law enforcement, officials have confirmed that he was not an unknown figure. Their description of him as belonging to the Islamist milieu indicates that security services had already associated him with extremist networks before the attack allegedly took place.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned what he described as a terrorist attack against an open and democratic society, pledging that those responsible would be brought to justice. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner likewise denounced the violence, describing it as an assault not only on those attending the Pride celebrations but also on the values of tolerance and freedom that the event represents.
Christopher Street Day has long been one of Germany’s largest public celebrations of LGBTQ rights, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants each year. Organisers cancelled the remainder of the festivities after the attack as emergency services secured the area and investigators began collecting evidence.
Forensic teams have continued examining the abandoned vehicle while detectives review witness statements and video footage recorded by spectators. Police have appealed for anyone who captured images or recordings from the scene to come forward.
The investigation remains fast-moving, and authorities have stressed that several aspects are still being established, including whether additional suspects may have escaped before officers reached the scene.
The incident has reignited debate across Germany over domestic security and Islamist extremism. Successive governments have invested heavily in counter-terrorism capabilities following a series of attacks over the past decade, yet the latest incident is likely to prompt renewed questions over whether individuals already known to security services can be monitored effectively before violence occurs.
For investigators, the immediate priority remains locating Abdul B. Police continue to warn that members of the public should not attempt to confront him but should instead contact emergency services immediately with any information concerning his whereabouts.
