Berlin Pride attack suspect hunted after one killed and 16 injured

German authorities are hunting for a Berlin Pride attack suspect after a vehicle was driven into crowds near the city’s Pride celebrations, killing a woman and injuring 16 other people, officials said.

The attack happened around 10 p.m. Saturday in Tiergarten park, close to the Brandenburg Gate, according to authorities. Berlin police said the suspect is 21-year-old Abdul B., and released his photo while asking the public for help finding him.

Authorities said the suspect is also believed to have attacked people with a bladed object. Police warned people not to approach him directly, saying he may be armed and dangerous.

Berlin fire department spokesman Dominik Pretz said Sunday that three of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Eight others were seriously injured, and five had minor injuries, he said.

Who is the Berlin Pride attack suspect?

Berlin police identified the wanted man as Abdul B., 21. Police said he is known as a member of “Islamist circles” in Berlin, while German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said he is a German citizen of Lebanese background who was already known to police for past crimes.

Dobrindt said Abdul B. had previously been sentenced in Berlin to one year and 10 months in prison, with the sentence commuted to parole. He told a Sunday news conference that “everything” authorities were seeing indicated an Islamist attack.

Dobrindt also said Germany’s threat level would be raised after the attack, and said authorities could not rule out copycat attacks.

Images from the scene showed a white vehicle inside a police cordon in the park. Police officers were seen inspecting the car, which appeared to have struck a tree after the attack.

Police described the suspect as slim, about 1.9 meters tall, or roughly 6 feet 3 inches, with black hair. He was said to be wearing a black hoodie and white pants.

What happened after the attack?

Pride events were called off at about 10:15 p.m., shortly after the attack, and further celebrations were canceled, according to authorities. Hundreds of thousands of people had been in Berlin for one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ events, and the parade had gone through the park earlier Saturday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the incident as “a heinous act” in a post on X. He wrote that the attackers wanted people to stop treating one another with kindness and tolerance, and called it an attack on society. Merz said the attack would be investigated with the “utmost severity.”

Alfonso Pantisano, the Berlin state government’s queer liaison officer, wrote on social media that Saturday should have been a day of joy, visibility and freedom.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy for the victims Sunday. She wrote on social media that Pride stands for freedom, dignity and equality, and that every person should be able to live, love and stand up for their rights without fear.

This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.