SUNTV Global Channel | July 26, 2026
German police have shot dead the suspect accused of carrying out a deadly attack at Berlin’s Pride Festival after a nearly 24-hour manhunt, bringing a dramatic end to an incident that left one person dead and 29 others injured.
Authorities identified the suspect as Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent. Investigators allege he drove a van into a crowd near the Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride celebrations before attacking people with a machete in what officials believe was an Islamist-inspired terrorist attack.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said preliminary investigations strongly indicate the assault was motivated by Islamic extremism.
According to prosecutors, Ballout had previously travelled to Lebanon in 2025 in an attempt to reach Syria and join the Islamic State (IS) group. He was reportedly arrested in Lebanon, served a three-month prison sentence, and was later returned to Germany, where he faced charges linked to extremist activities.
Earlier this year, a Berlin juvenile court convicted him of preparing a serious act of violence against the state and spreading Islamic State propaganda online. He received a suspended sentence and was released while prosecutors appealed the ruling.
Police said the attack occurred on Saturday night when a white van rammed into pedestrians near Berlin’s Tiergarten Park before crashing into a tree. The suspect then allegedly launched further attacks with a machete as thousands gathered nearby for the Pride Festival’s closing celebrations.
Following an extensive search, officers confronted the suspect on Sunday in a suburb of Berlin, where he was shot dead after what authorities described as a dangerous confrontation.
The attack has shocked Germany and prompted renewed debate over public security, counterterrorism measures, and the protection of large public events.
German authorities have vowed to continue investigating the incident while providing support to victims and their families.
Source: German authorities and Associated Press (AP).
