Berlin Names Fugitive in Pride Van Attack, Manhunt for 21-Year-Old with Islamist Ties Enters Second Day

Since the van ramming near Berlin's Tiergarten park Saturday night killed one person and injured 16, German authorities have moved from a search for an unidentified attacker to a public manhunt for a named fugitive.

Berlin police and prosecutors issued a wanted notice Sunday identifying the suspect as Abdul B., 21, according to the Washington Post and the Guardian. Police spokesperson Florian Nath said the suspect "is known to us as a member of Islamist circles here in Berlin," and that the search "is proceeding at full speed."

Nath was blunt about what investigators still don't know. "We still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself," he said, per the Guardian. Police have a name and a background, but not yet a confirmed motive or a full account of what happened.

What Happened Saturday Night

A white van swerved into Tiergarten park just before 10 p.m., near the route of the Pride march held earlier that day, striking people on a path before crashing into a tree, according to the Guardian. The vehicle was found empty when police arrived.

"[The vehicle] was empty, which is why we are currently working intensively to track down the perpetrator or perpetrators," police said. Tabloid Bild cited a witness who said a man fled the vehicle on foot.

Beyond the ramming, police say several victims were also stabbed, according to both the Washington Post and the Guardian, though the exact sequence connecting the vehicle attack and the stabbings hasn't been detailed publicly. That detail raises the question of whether this was carried out by one person or more than one, something police have not resolved. Their notice said the suspect may be armed and dangerous and warned the public to avoid "direct contact."

Berlin fire department spokesperson Dominik Pretz confirmed one death and at least 16 injured, some with life-threatening wounds, according to the Guardian. Emergency crews set up a helicopter landing pad near the Reichstag to fly the injured to hospitals.

The Manhunt

A manhunt involving helicopters and officers from multiple German states was underway across Berlin as of Sunday, the Guardian reported. As of the wanted notice's release, Abdul B. had not been arrested, according to the Wiltshire Times, which republished USA Today reporting on the incident.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attack "an attack on our society" and vowed, alongside Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, to see it "fully investigated and punished," according to the Guardian.

What's Still Unproven

Police have confirmed the suspect has known ties to Islamist circles in Berlin. That is a fact from a named police spokesperson. It is not the same as confirming this was a terrorist attack, a hate crime targeting the Pride event specifically, or an attack with a stated ideological motive. Nath explicitly said motive is still unknown.

Germany has seen a string of vehicle and knife attacks in recent years tied to Islamist extremism, and this incident is already being read through that lens by German officials and international outlets. But jumping from "suspect has ties to Islamist circles" to "this was a targeted terror attack on LGBT people" outruns what police have actually established. The facts as confirmed: a van hit a crowd near a Pride event, people were also stabbed, and the named suspect has an extremist-adjacent background. The why is still open.

The attack forced organizers to cut short what the Guardian described as one of Europe's largest Pride events, cancelling a planned concert. Attendee Julian Methig called it "one of the worst days for the queer community," telling the Guardian he was "shocked."

What Comes Next

German authorities have not said whether they believe Abdul B. acted alone or whether the "one or more people" who reportedly left the vehicle included accomplices still at large. No charges have been filed because no arrest has been made. Berlin police have not released a timeline connecting the ramming to the stabbings, nor confirmed how many attackers were involved.

Until Abdul B. is located and questioned, the central facts of this case—motive, number of attackers, and the connection between the vehicle strike and the stabbing reports—remain officially unresolved.