Police shot and killed Abdul Ballout after he drove a vehicle into a crowd during Berlin's Pride festival.
Police shot and killed Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese background, following a vehicle attack during Berlin's Pride festival. The suspect drove into a crowd in Tiergarten park, killing a 65-year-old Polish woman and injuring 29 others. Abdul Ballout was also accused of attacking several people with a machete during the incident. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt identified the attack as an Islamist incident, noting that the suspect had previously been sentenced for preparing a serious act of violence by attempting to join the Islamic State. Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the attack as a heinous act against a free society and called for stricter anti-terrorism laws. Merz emphasized that individuals considered security threats should be monitored more closely to restrict their movement. Following the attack, the conservative Alternative für Deutschland party criticized the government for failing to prevent radical Islam in Germany. Justice official Felor Badenberg suggested a fundamental overhaul of the security and juvenile justice systems to ensure perpetrators are punished more severely.