A vehicle plowed through a park during Berlin's annual Pride celebration late Saturday, killing at least one woman and injuring 29 others in what German authorities have called a suspected Islamist terrorist attack. The incident occurred on the outskirts of the main Pride event, sending panicked crowds fleeing as emergency services rushed to the scene. Berlin police identified the suspect as a 21-year-old man with known ties to local Islamic extremist groups.
"There is a strong suspicion it was an act of terrorism," Berlin police spokesman Florian Nath said early Sunday. The suspect, who was already known to police, was the subject of an intensive manhunt. Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, condemned the attack, calling it "an attack on our free and open-minded society." The Pride parade was immediately canceled as police secured the area and launched a large-scale investigation.
The attack adds to a grim pattern of vehicle-ramming incidents across Germany and Europe in recent years. Security expert Raphael Bossong of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs noted that such attacks are particularly difficult to prevent because they rely on readily available vehicles and often involve suspects with limited links to organized extremist networks.
European leaders condemned the attack, with expressions of solidarity pouring in from across the continent. The incident comes as Germany remains on heightened alert for terrorism, with authorities warning of the ongoing threat from Islamist extremism. The investigation continues as police work to determine whether the suspect acted alone or as part of a broader network.