German police shot and killed the chief suspect in the deadly Berlin Pride car-ramming attack during a confrontation in a city suburb on Sunday, bringing an end to a manhunt that lasted nearly 24 hours after the assault left one person dead and 29 injured.
Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed following an intensive search across the capital and surrounding areas. Berlin prosecutors said the suspect had previously sought to join the armed group ISIL (ISIS), and investigators are treating the incident as an act of terrorism.
The attack unfolded a few hundred metres from a party near central Berlin during Pride celebrations, when a vehicle was driven into a crowd of participants. One person died and dozens were injured, several of them critically.
Authorities had issued a public appeal for information as they searched for the man in the hours after the ramming, warning residents to remain vigilant while the suspect was at large.
The confrontation that ended the manhunt took place in a suburb of the city, where officers located the suspect and opened fire during the encounter. Police confirmed his death shortly afterward.
Investigators are now examining the suspect’s background, potential accomplices, and the extent of any planning behind the attack. Prosecutors have described the incident as an act of extremist violence, though officials cautioned that the investigation remains ongoing.
The assault forced organisers to call off the remainder of Pride events in the city, casting a shadow over what is typically one of Berlin’s largest annual celebrations of the LGBTQ community.
Security around public gatherings in the German capital has been reinforced as authorities work to establish a full timeline of events. Officials are expected to release further details on the suspect’s motives and history in the coming days as the inquiry continues.