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๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Sweden /Conflict & Security

One dead after car attack in Berlin

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A person died and 16 others were injured when a car drove into a crowd at a Pride event in Berlin.
  • Police have identified a suspect, described as a 21-year-old known to authorities and with alleged ties to Islamist circles.
  • The incident caused panic, leading to the evacuation of the area and the cancellation of further Pride events.

A fatal car attack at a Pride event in Berlin has left one person dead and 16 injured, some critically. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. when a van plowed into a crowd in the Tiergarten park before crashing into a tree. The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene.

It is what witnesses have told us. That several lay on the ground with stab wounds.

โ€” Florian NathBerlin police spokesperson Florian Nath relaying witness accounts of stab wounds.

Authorities have identified a 21-year-old male suspect, who is known to the police and reportedly has connections to Islamist circles in Berlin. Police are actively searching for him, though he had not been apprehended as of the latest reports. A raid on a Berlin apartment yielded no arrests, but a large-scale search operation, including the use of thermal cameras and helicopters, is underway in central Berlin.

Witnesses reported that several individuals sustained stab wounds, though this has not been officially confirmed by police. The attack occurred amidst the city's Pride celebrations, causing widespread panic. The area around Tiergarten and the concert venue at the Brandenburg Gate was evacuated, and Sunday's events, including the Christopher Street Day parade, were canceled.

There are initial suspicions against this individual. We are looking for him but he has not yet been arrested.

โ€” Florian NathFlorian Nath providing an update on the search for the suspect.

Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, condemned the attack, stating, "Berlin is a city of freedom, and our freedom has today been attacked in the most horrific way." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to bring those responsible to justice, vowing that he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt would "fight to ensure that this terrible act is investigated and punished."

Berlin is a city of freedom, and our freedom has today been attacked in the most horrific way.

โ€” Kai WegnerBerlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemning the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.