Van Rams Into Crowd at Berlin Pride Parade, Killing One
More than a dozen people were injured; police say suspect has ties to Islamic extremist groups
- A van rammed into a crowd during an LGBTQ pride parade in Berlin, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others.
- The parade was canceled, and authorities said they were searching for the suspect, who was identified as a man with ties to Islamic extremist groups.
- Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner called the incident a brutal attack on the city.
One person died and more than a dozen others were injured after a van rammed into a crowd during an LGBTQ pride parade in Berlin on Saturday.
Police identified the suspect as a man who has ties to Islamic extremist groups and is known to authorities in the German capital. Police didn’t release his name and said they were still searching for him.
Berlin police said the man drove a white van into Tiergarten park shortly before 10 p.m. and then crashed into a crowd. The parade was canceled, and attendees were told to go home.
About one million people attend the event, called the Christopher Street Day parade, to commemorate the 1969 gay uprising against police brutality at Stonewall Inn on New York City’s Christopher Street. The parade winds through Berlin and ends with performances in front of Brandenburg Gate, near the park where the incident occurred.
Police said that 16 people were hurt, several with life-threatening injuries, and that a motive was still being investigated.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner called the incident a brutal attack on the city and said his thoughts were with the victims.