Berlin police tracked Abdul Ballout, 21, to an allotment garden in the western Spandau district around 18:00 on 26/7. Ballout charged at officers with a sharp weapon, prompting them to open fire.

The suspect sustained critical injuries and, despite receiving emergency aid, died at the scene.

Suspect Abdul Ballout. Photo: Berlin Police

Ballout was identified as the driver who rammed a car into a crowd near an LGBTQ support march in Tiergarten park on 25/7. The attack killed one woman and injured 29 people, several critically. After crashing into a tree, Ballout reportedly continued to attack bystanders with a machete before escaping.

This incident marks the first direct attack targeting the LGBTQ community in the German capital. Prosecutors stated that Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, had previously supported the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and possessed an extensive criminal record, with his latest conviction occurring in 5/2026.

The incident drew condemnation from numerous politicians across Germany and other European nations. The German parliament building flew flags at half-mast in remembrance of the victims.

Speaking at a memorial service at Marienkirche church in Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the targeted community "not to be intimidated."

According to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, authorities had long monitored Ballout due to his "extensive" criminal history and radicalization. Dobrindt stated, "All indications now point to this being a radical Islamic terrorist attack."

A victim is taken to an ambulance after the car ramming in a park in Berlin, Germany on 25/7. Photo: Reuters

Prosecutors detailed Ballout's criminal past: he was convicted of intentional bodily harm and extortion in 2019, and robbery in 2020. In 2024, the suspect posted IS propaganda on Instagram. The following year, Ballout traveled to Lebanon, intending to join IS forces in Syria. He was arrested there and sentenced to three months in prison.

After returning to Germany in 11/2025, Ballout was re-arrested and, in 5/2026, received a 22-month sentence for "preparing to commit serious acts of violence against the state". However, he was given a suspended sentence, partially credited for time served in Lebanon and pre-trial detention, and also because he pleaded guilty and claimed to have renounced IS.

Germany's deadliest attack in recent years occurred in 12/2016, when a Tunisian radical Islamist drove a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 13 people.

By Huyen Le (AFP, Reuters)