One dead, 16 injured after van rams crowd at Berlin Gay Pride; minister says 'Islamist terrorist attack'

The attack

Around 22:00 on Saturday 25 July, a white minivan drove into Berlin's Tiergarten park and ploughed through a crowd that had remained after the city's annual Gay Pride celebrations, just as the afternoon and evening performances were winding down. Il Messaggero's dispatch said Berlin had been plunged into terror at that hour. The day had been filled with concerts, parades and music, but the festive atmosphere was cut short in an instant. La Repubblica reported that the vehicle was seen entering the park and driving straight into the gathering, causing immediate panic; participants fled, leaving behind personal effects and overturned barricades. According to a reconstruction by Il Messaggero, the driver then jumped out of the van and brandished a knife and a machete before fleeing on foot into the darkness.

Casualties and emergency response

A woman died at the scene, the German weekly Der Spiegel reported. Sixteen others were injured, three of them seriously, and were taken to several hospitals by ambulances that arrived within minutes. Police quickly sealed off a wide perimeter around the Tiergarten, a closure that stayed in place through Sunday. Officers maintained a heavy presence while forensic teams collected evidence. The victim's identity was not immediately released. La Repubblica's footage from the night showed emergency vehicles converging on the park as the crowds dispersed from the surrounding squares.

Investigation and suspect hunt

Authorities immediately treated the episode as a terrorist act. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, speaking to reporters in Berlin late on Saturday evening, said the evidence collected left no room for alternative explanations.

Everything we see here indicates it was an Islamist terrorist attack.

Il Messaggero noted that investigators were unequivocal in attributing the assault to Islamist ideology. The suspect fled and, as of Sunday afternoon, remained at large. A large-scale manhunt was underway across the capital, with police appealing for any photos or video footage that could help identify the assailant. No group had claimed responsibility by Sunday evening.

Berlin after the attack

On Sunday, Berlin was still coming to grips with the shock. The Tiergarten cordon and a visible police presence throughout the city centre served as stark reminders of the previous night's violence. Italian broadcaster Tgcom24 described a capital slowly trying to overcome the trauma. No further incidents were reported, and officials urged residents to remain calm while the search continued. Community organisations and political leaders condemned the attack, and the LGBTQ community, which had moments earlier been celebrating openness and inclusion, was left particularly shaken. Messages of solidarity and condemnation flooded social media.