BERLIN— German police shot dead the main suspect in the deadly attack near Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations after he allegedly charged at officers with a bladed weapon during a manhunt, authorities said, ending a search that began after one person was killed and dozens of others were injured.
Berlin police said officers located the 21-year-old suspect on Sunday evening at an allotment garden complex in the western Spandau district, about 24 hours after a van drove into a crowd near the city's annual Pride festivities before several people were also attacked with a blade. Police said the suspect advanced toward officers while armed, prompting members of a special police unit to open fire. He died at the scene despite resuscitation efforts by emergency responders.
Authorities have identified the suspect only as Abdul B., in line with German privacy rules. Berlin police previously said he was known to law enforcement and had links to the city's Islamist extremist scene. Federal prosecutors are investigating the attack as a suspected act of Islamist terrorism.
Officials said one person was killed in Saturday's attack and 29 others were injured. Several victims remained in hospital, though authorities have not publicly updated the condition of all those wounded. Investigators are continuing forensic examinations and interviewing witnesses to establish the full sequence of events.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the attack as an assault on the country's democratic values and pledged that authorities would respond firmly to violent extremism. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner also denounced the violence and expressed support for the victims, their families and the LGBTQ+ community. Public vigils were held near the Brandenburg Gate and close to the attack site after the city's remaining Pride celebrations were cancelled.
Police had mounted a citywide search following the attack, deploying officers to transport hubs and other locations while appealing for witnesses and video footage. The suspect's death ends the manhunt, but investigators said the criminal inquiry into the attack, including the suspect's background, possible radicalisation and any contacts, remains ongoing under the supervision of federal prosecutors.
