On Saturday night, July 26th, 2026, around 10 p.m., a white van drove into a crowd approximately 100 meters from a Christopher Street Day celebration near Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. Police spokesperson Florian Nath reported that the van drove through the park parallel to a main road, striking multiple people before crashing into a tree. The driver then fled the scene in an unknown direction. Authorities confirmed the vehicle was privately owned and not a rental.

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CDU) stated that the suspect is also believed to have attacked people with a blade-like weapon, possibly a machete, before fleeing. The area around the crime scene was blocked off after organizers canceled the remainder of the event and evacuated attendees. Police conducted overnight searches of the Tiergarten area using infrared cameras.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the incident on social media, calling it a "heinous" attack on society. He emphasized that the victims were near the closing party of the Christopher Street Day parade, which celebrates LGBTQ+ rights. Chancellor Merz further indicated that evidence points to the attack being Islamist terrorism.

Interior Minister Dobrindt identified the chief suspect as Abdul B., 21, who was known to authorities for a "high number" of previous attacks and for being radicalized. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the event as "an attack on our open society, our way of life and our ability to live together."

The attack has deeply affected the community, but leaders affirm resilience, stating they will not let it defeat their identities, existence, community, or democracy.

Sources