Security authorities apparently monitored the alleged attacker of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) attack in Berlin closely, right up until the incident occurred. According to investigations published late on Monday by NDR, WDR, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, investigators from the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA) had installed a hidden camera outside the home of Abdul B., who had been classified as a known threat.
This camera reportedly recorded him leaving his apartment at 8:58 PM on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, he was allegedly seen driving a van into a crowd in the Tiergarten park, leading to one death and over 20 injuries.
The report detailed that Abdul B. had been designated a “high-risk individual” weeks before the attack by the risk assessment system RADAR-iTE of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). This Islamist subject in Berlin had been officially registered as a threat since January 2026. Authorities monitored his mobile phone and internet communications, and observation teams intermittently kept tabs on him. However, personal surveillance was later scaled back due to no sign of an imminent attack and limited resources. The technical monitoring, including the camera placement outside his residence, remained active.
Abdul B. was discussed multiple times within the Joint Terrorism Defence Center (GTAZ). Based on his radicalization, his attempts to travel to the Islamic State, and his criminal background, security agencies assessed a high probability that he might attempt to travel abroad again or commit another attack. Despite this assessment, the 22-year-old was released from pre-trial detention in May 2026. The relevant court cited the sentence already served and the possibility of probation under strict conditions, though the public prosecutor filed an appeal against the ruling.
In early July, a police operation was triggered because monitoring systems revealed that he was carrying a gun-like object tucked into his waistband. However, a subsequent search of his apartment revealed it was a toy weapon.
The investigations present a portrait of an Islamist who was known to the authorities and subject to intensive observation. Nevertheless, investigators never received specific intelligence on the concrete planning of the attacks.
