Berlin’s Christopher Street Day LGBTQ+ pride parade was forced to end early on Saturday evening after a van was driven by an unknown motorist into a crowd of people, injuring over a dozen.
UPDATE 27/7 0130: According to German paper of record Die Welt, the vehicle used in the apparent attack was rented to a man named “Abdul B.” Born in 2005, Abdul was reportedly released from juvenile detention in May. Police have not confirmed if he is a suspect in connection with the incident at the pride parade on Saturday evening.
UPDATE 27/7 0010: According to Berlin Police, at least 16 people were injured at the Christopher Street Day pride parade in the German capital on Saturday. One person has died, and several others have suffered life-threatening injuries. Police are still searching for at least one suspect in connection with the incident and have appealed for witnesses to come forward and aid investigators.
UPDATE 1050: Berlin Police said that they are conducting an “intensive manhunt for suspects” after a vehicle was driven into a crowd of people in the Tiergarten area. The force said that “one or more suspects” are currently being searched for “at full throttle”.
UPDATE 1045: German newspaper Bild has reported that at least one person has died after a van was driven into a crowd at the annual pride parade in Berlin. According to the paper, Berlin police said that 14 people are currently being treated for injuries, including some who were seriously wounded.
The original story continues as follows…
According to German daily Bild, a white van was driven at high speed into a crowd of people in the central Berlin area of Tiergarten at around 10 pm local time during the annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) pride parade.
One of the largest such events in Europe, held in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots on Christopher Street in New York City, the parade typically draws hundreds of thousands of attendees.
According to a spokesperson for the Berlin Fire Department, dozens of emergency personnel, including paramedics and physicians, were rushed to the scene. It is currently unclear how many people were injured in the incident or their condition.
Police are said to still be searching for suspects. Speaking to Bild, witnesses said they saw a man exit the white van and flee the scene on foot. There is currently no other information about the suspect or potential motive.
Shortly after the incident, the organisers of the pride parade announced they would cancel the rest of the event.
In a statement, Berlin Police said: “We are currently deployed with numerous police forces as well as rescue units from the Berlin Fire Department in the Großer Tiergarten. It is presumed that a vehicle has driven into the Tiergarten here, has struck and injured several people. The injured are currently being treated by rescue personnel.”
This story is developing, more to follow…