Berlin Pride attack suspect shot, killed during police operation

The suspect in Saturday night's deadly Pride attack in Berlin was shot and killed by police during a operation at a garden complex in Spandau on Sunday evening, authorities confirmed.Berlin police said the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, was located in an allotment garden facility in Spandau at around 6 pm local time. According to police, he "rushed toward our emergency forces with a stabbing weapon, after which police firearms were used." Despite immediate resuscitation efforts, he died at the scene.The killing came after Ballout allegedly drove a rented vehicle into a crowd near Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride event on Saturday night, killing one woman and injuring 16 others, some with stab wounds. Three of the injured remain in life-threatening condition.Suspect had history of Islamist linksBallout, a German citizen with a Lebanese family background, was previously known to authorities as part of the "Islamist spectrum," according to Berlin police. The public prosecutor's office released details of his criminal history, revealing multiple convictions.In 2024, Ballout published prohibited Islamic State propaganda on Instagram and allegedly "developed the desire to join the armed struggle of ISIS," prosecutors said. In May 2025, he traveled to Lebanon via Turkey with the intention of heading to Syria to join the Islamic State group. He was arrested in Lebanon and sentenced to three months in prison for incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.After returning to Germany in November 2025, he was arrested at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. In May 2026, the Tiergarten District Court sentenced him to one year and 10 months' imprisonment for "preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state," though the decision was deferred for six months.He also had prior convictions for assault and robbery dating back to 2019 and 2020.Details of attackBallout is alleged to have used a rented white Citroen Space Tourer delivery vehicle to carry out the attack. He drove into the Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate at around 10 pm Saturday, driving into an ongoing Pride event. He struck multiple people before coming to a standstill after hitting a tree. Some of the injured suffered stab wounds, police said.The Christopher Street Day organisers cancelled the remainder of the events, which usually attract around one million people.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.