German police shot and killed a man identified as Abdul Ballout, the suspect in an attack that injured several people at a Berlin Pride event. Ballout reportedly rushed at officers with a knife during a police operation in a western borough of the city.
Authorities are investigating the incident as an Islamist terror attack, according to German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. He stated that the suspect had previously come to the attention of authorities due to a significant criminal record, radicalization, and ties to the Islamist scene.
Ballout's criminal history includes a May 2025 trip to Lebanon via Turkey with the alleged intention of joining the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria. While in Lebanon, he reportedly made contact with individuals believed to be IS members. He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and served a three-month sentence for inciting religious and sectarian conflict.
Upon returning to Germany in November 2025, Ballout was arrested at Berlin Brandenburg Airport and held in pre-trial detention. In May of the current year, he received a sentence of one year and 10 months for "preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state." This sentence was deferred for six months, and he was placed under the supervision of a parole officer. His prior convictions include assault and robbery in 2022, and a separate robbery in 2020.
The incident occurred near the sidelines of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade, Berlin's annual Pride celebration. The exact details of the attack on the parade attendees were not immediately clear, but reports indicated that a vehicle was involved.
