Vehicle mows down crowd at Berlin Pride festival, killing one

One person was killed and 17 others injured, some critically, after a vehicle mowed down a crowd near Berlin's Pride celebrations on Saturday evening. Police said they identified a suspect and were seeking his arrest. The attack triggered a manhunt in the German capital.

What happened at Berlin Pride?

A vehicle drove into Berlin's Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate around 10 p.m. local time, striking several people before hitting a tree and stopping. Police said the vehicle, described as a white car, minivan or minibus, was empty when found. A witness told tabloid Bild that a man got out and fled on foot.

How many people were injured?

Eight victims suffered serious injuries, and three of those were in life-threatening condition, a fire brigade spokesperson said. In total, 17 people were injured alongside the one fatality. Emergency service vehicles filled the scene as police worked to treat the wounded and secure the area.

Who is the suspect in the Berlin Pride attack?

Police said they had identified a suspected perpetrator who has not yet been arrested. The individual is known to police as a member of Berlin's militant scene, according to a police spokesperson. Officers said they were working intensively to track down the perpetrator or perpetrators involved.

What is Christopher Street Day?

Christopher Street Day, or CSD, is one of Europe's largest LGBTQ events and draws hundreds of thousands of people to Berlin each year. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York and pairs a parade with political demands for equality and protection against discrimination. First held in West Berlin in 1979, it has grown from a small demonstration into a major cultural and political fixture in the city. Julian Miethig, who attended the event, called it one of the worst days for the queer community.

Have there been similar attacks in Germany before?

Germany has faced a series of vehicle-ramming incidents in recent years. In May, a man believed to have mental health issues drove into a pedestrian zone in Leipzig, killing two and injuring three. Last year, a 40-year-old man described as psychologically unwell killed two people in Mannheim by driving into pedestrians, and weeks earlier an Afghan national suspected of a similar attack in Munich killed two and injured more than 40, including children. In December 2024, a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg killed several people; the suspect was a Saudi psychiatrist with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric who had lived in Germany for nearly two decades.