A van drove into a crowd in Tiergarten Park at around 10pm on Saturday evening and then crashed into a tree. The person or people in the vehicle then fled the scene. One person has been confirmed dead and several others have life-threatening injuries.
Panic broke out at the site, where part of Berlin's Pride celebrations were taking place, before police were able to calm the situation. The area around Tiergarten Park and the concert area at the Brandenburg Gate have been evacuated.
According to witness accounts, several people may also have been stabbed, however, this has not been confirmed.
"That's what witnesses have told us. That several people were lying on the ground with stab wounds," Berlin police spokesman Florian Nath told the Berliner Zeitung.
Suspect identified
A major police operation is underway in central Berlin. At around 3 a.m. on Sunday, police confirmed that a suspected perpetrator had been identified. The man is said to be 21 years old and known to police. He is said to have connections to Islamist circles in Berlin.
"There are initial suspicions against this individual. We are looking for him but he has not yet been arrested," Florian Nath told media on site.
Earlier in the day, the city's pride parade, known as Christopher Street Day, had passed the scene of the incident. Sunday's event has been canceled due to the incident. Tens of thousands of people have participated in the parade and festivities surrounding the event.
"Horrible act"
"Berlin is a city of freedom and our freedom has been attacked today in the most horrific way," writes Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner on X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vows to punish whoever is responsible. In a statement, he says he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt will “fight to ensure that this terrible act is investigated and punished.”
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