One Killed, 17 Injured After Van Rams Crowd at Berlin Celebrations

World 09:36 AM - 2026-07-26

Emergency personnel following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities in Berlin.

One person was killed and 17 others injured, several of them critically, after a vehicle ploughed into a ‌crowd near Berlin's Pride celebrations on Saturday evening. 

According to a report by DW, Berlin Police named 21-year-old Abdul B. as the suspect in Saturday night's van ramming attack at the Berlin Pride festivities.

In a statement, police described him as of slim build, around 1.9 meters tall, with black hair. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie and white pants.

Police also said that several people were injured with stabbing weapons, without giving further details.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Saturday night's deadly van ramming at Berlin Pride celebrations, describing it as a "horrific act."

In a statement, Merz said he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt would ensure "this horrific act is fully investigated and punished."

Meanwhile, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, who visited the scene, described the incident as "an attack on our free and open society."

"After a peaceful and colorful CSD, the assembly for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal way. Berlin is the city of freedom, and our freedom has been attacked in the most horrific way today," Wegner wrote on X.

In remarks to reporters at the scene, Wegner said, "We will not allow our way of life and our way of living together to be taken from us."

Germany has seen a series of vehicle-ramming incidents since the 2016 attack on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, prompting repeated security alerts around public gatherings, Christmas markets, carnival events and demonstrations.