Berlin car attack suspect killed by police; father believes son was brainwashed

The man suspected of driving a car into a crowd at Berlin's Pride event on Saturday, 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, was killed by police on Sunday evening. Authorities reported that he ran towards officers with a knife before they shot him.

Just hours before his death, the German newspaper Der Spiegel interviewed the suspect's father. The 64-year-old described his son as a loving and kind child, stating that the only possible reason for his actions was that he had been brainwashed. The father noted that his son had attended school until the tenth grade and worked as a driver and security guard, but did not have a stable long-term job. He spent a lot of time on his phone and slept late, according to his father.

The attack during Christopher Street Day celebrations killed one woman and injured 29 people. Police, who knew the suspect from Berlin's Islamist circles, released his name over the weekend. The father identified his family as Shia Muslims who do not support ISIS, and mentioned his son had a preference for Sunni Muslims. ISIS's ideology is rooted in Sunni Salafism and Wahhabism, and it considers Shia Muslims apostates. The father also recalled arguing with his son about his beard length, stating he did not permit a long beard.