Authorities are investigating the fatal incident near the Berlin CSD, and multiple media reports citing official sources suggest that the perpetrator may be an adherent of the “Islamic State” terrorist group. It remains unclear whether the Federal Public Prosecutor General will take over the investigation, though it is reported that initial contact has already been made with local authorities. The suspect is now being sought across Europe. According to “Focus Online,” the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has requested assistance from law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, and Austria.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening around 10 p.m. when a 21-year-old identified as Abdul B. sped through the Berlin Tiergarten in a small truck. The vehicle was moving through an area where CSD participants were celebrating. He subsequently crashed into a tree and fled the scene. It is still undetermined if the suspect had accomplices; however, authorities now state that “one or more persons” left the vehicle. Furthermore, several individuals reportedly sustained injuries from sharp implements.
The event was halted shortly after the attack, but for over an hour, the public was given little official information regarding what had happened, presumably to prevent panic. Initially, police deployed a helicopter over the Tiergarten to aid the search, reportedly utilizing a thermal imaging camera. According to the latest figures, one woman was killed and 16 other people were injured during the Saturday evening attack.
