Berlin Pride van crash kills one and injures 16 as police hunt suspect

A major manhunt is underway across Germany following a vehicle-ramming attack on Saturday, 25 July 2026, that targeted crowds gathered for Berlin Pride, leaving one woman dead and 16 others injured, according to AP News. The incident abruptly halted the city's annual Christopher Street Day celebrations, forcing emergency services to scramble as authorities scrambled to secure the capital's Tiergarten park.

The tragedy unfolded late Saturday evening near the Brandenburg Gate. According to reports detailed by Thecourier, a white vehicle — described variously as a van, car, or minibus — plowed into a crowd in the central park before colliding with a tree and coming to a standstill empty. Witnesses reported seeing a man flee the scene on foot, prompting an intensive search by police forces.

Authorities have identified the suspect as a 21-year-old man named Abdul B. Police spokesman Florian Nath stated that the individual is known to law enforcement as a member of Berlin's Islamist scene. According to information from dpa cited in the reports, the suspect had been released from youth detention. A joint wanted notice issued early Sunday by the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Criminal Police Office warned the public that the suspect is slim, stands approximately 1.90 metres tall, and should not be approached because he may be armed and dangerous.

The human toll from the attack remains severe. While a woman died at the scene from her injuries, fire brigade and police officials confirmed that 16 other individuals were hurt. Among the wounded, eight sustained serious injuries, with multiple victims fighting for their lives in critical condition. Police were also conducting witness interrogations overnight to investigate accounts that some victims may have suffered stab wounds in addition to being struck by the vehicle, though officials cautioned it was too early to draw definitive conclusions.

The violence struck at the heart of one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ events. Hundreds of thousands of participants had gathered earlier in the day for the peaceful parade, which commemorates the Stonewall uprising and advocates for equality. Organizers noted that the festivities were held amid growing concerns regarding attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. The evening concert near the Brandenburg Gate was immediately interrupted around 10:15 p.m., with police using social media and public announcements to clear the area as ambulances and firefighters flooded the district.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the assault, describing it as a direct blow to the capital's free and open society. After a peaceful and colourful CSD, this gathering for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal way, Wegner said in a statement.

Recent vehicle-ramming incidents in Germany

• May 2026: A motorist with suspected mental health issues drove into a pedestrian zone in Leipzig, killing two people and injuring three.
• 2025: Two pedestrians were killed in Mannheim by a driver described by authorities as psychologically unwell.
• 2024: A Munich trade union demonstration was targeted in an attack that left two dead and more than 40 injured, followed weeks later by a fatal Christmas market ramming in Magdeburg.

The attack adds to a grim sequence of vehicle-ramming incidents across Germany in recent years, testing security protocols at major public gatherings. As the manhunt for Abdul B continues at full speed, local authorities have activated a crisis hotline for families searching for missing loved ones, urging anyone with photographs or video footage from the scene to contact the police immediately.