Following a fatal drive-by attack that occurred during the Berlin Christopher Street Day (CSD), police are currently searching for a suspect described as being from an “Islamist milieu.” A police spokesperson, Florian Nath, informed journalists at the scene around 2:20 a.m. that the individual has been identified and is already known to law enforcement, though they have not yet been apprehended. The manhunt is in full swing, with the police indicating that a public appeal for information is likely to be launched shortly. Initially, the police deployed a helicopter over the Tiergarten park during the search, reportedly utilizing a thermal imaging camera.
According to the latest reports, the incident took place Saturday evening around 10 p.m. A person driving a small commercial vehicle sped into the Tiergarten, where CSD participants were celebrating. The driver eventually crashed into a tree and fled the scene. Of the casualties, one person was killed and sixteen others were injured. The event was halted, but for over an hour, the public was largely unaware of what had happened, apparently to prevent widespread panic.
In response to the tragedy, representatives from the federal government expressed deep concern. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) stated in the night that he was profoundly shaken by this “cowardly, abominable attack on peacefully celebrating people.” A ministry spokeswoman added that Dobrindt was in “close contact with the security authorities of the Federal government and the State of Berlin,” receiving continuous updates on the situation and offering the full support of the federal government to Berlin. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) previously denounced the act as “abhorrent.”
The Christopher Street Day is a festival for lesbian, gay, and other “queer” individuals, which has been observed for decades. The largest parades celebrating the CSD take place annually in Berlin and Cologne.
