Berlin Pride Attack Injures 29; Suspect at Large, Called 'Islamist Terrorist Attack'

Berlin's Pride parade became the scene of a deadly attack Saturday when a driver plowed into a crowd, injuring 29 people and killing one. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced Sunday that authorities are treating the incident as an "Islamist attack."

The suspect, identified as Abdul Ballout, drove a van into participants in the Tiergarten park, the site of the Pride parade's closing events. "Everything we see here indicates that we are dealing with an Islamist attack," Dobrindt stated. Ballout, a German citizen born in 2005 with Lebanese roots, also reportedly attacked people with a knife after exiting the vehicle.

Ballout is currently a fugitive, with authorities searching for him not only in Berlin but also at the country's borders, airports, and train stations. Dobrindt noted that the suspect had a criminal record, had shown signs of radicalization, and was associated with the Islamist scene. He had previously received a suspended one-year, ten-month prison sentence in Berlin, a decision the prosecution had opposed.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner called the incident a "terrorist attack" against the city's way of life, democracy, openness, and freedom. He announced an extraordinary meeting to address the city's security and stated that flags would be flown at half-mast in mourning.