Berlin Pride attack suspect killed by police
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Police killed the suspect in a Berlin Pride attack that left one dead and 29 injured.
- The suspect, Abdul Ballout, was a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese origin with a history of radicalization.
- The attack, which involved a vehicle and a knife, is being treated as a potential Islamist terrorist act.
Berlin police fatally shot a suspect identified as Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese origin, on Sunday evening. Authorities believe Ballout was responsible for an attack the previous day that occurred on the sidelines of the city's gay pride event, leaving one person dead and around 30 injured.
According to the information we have at this stage, (the suspect) ran towards our intervention forces armed with a bladed weapon.
The incident unfolded when a vehicle rammed into pedestrians in Tiergarten park, near the Brandenburg Gate, before crashing into a tree. The suspect then reportedly attacked other passersby with a bladed weapon, described as possibly a machete. Police stated that Ballout ran towards intervention forces armed with a bladed weapon, prompting special unit officers to open fire, resulting in his death at the scene.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed the revised victim count of 29 injured, noting that no one was in mortal danger. He also detailed Ballout's background, describing him as having a significant criminal record due to "radicalization and his affiliation with the Islamist milieu." Ballout was a suspected sympathizer of the Islamic State group.
the man died on the spot
Prosecutors outlined Ballout's judicial history, including a conviction in May for attempting to join ISIS in Syria via Lebanon, where he was arrested and subsequently deported. He received a suspended sentence, with his detention time in Germany and Lebanon taken into account. The court had previously determined he had distanced himself from extremist groups and posed no immediate threat, a decision the prosecution had appealed.
radicalization, and his affiliation with the Islamist milieu
Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.