Key facts
- German prosecutors announced the suspected Berlin Pride attacker, Abdul Ballout, recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State.
- Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed by police after the attack.
- The attack occurred late Saturday, killing a Polish woman and injuring 29 people.
- Ballout had a prior conviction in May for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state.
- He was released under probation supervision, a decision prosecutors had appealed.
- Authorities classified the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack.
German prosecutors revealed that the suspect in a deadly vehicle attack at Berlin's Pride celebration recorded a video pledging allegiance to the militant group Islamic State. The 21-year-old German citizen, identified as Abdul Ballout, was shot dead by police on Sunday after allegedly driving a vehicle into crowds in Tiergarten park late Saturday. The attack resulted in one fatality, a Polish woman in her 60s, and left 29 people injured.
Authorities assume the masked individual in the video is Ballout, though the recording date is unspecified. Ballout had a history of legal troubles, including a May conviction for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. He received a suspended sentence under juvenile law, with prosecutors appealing for a longer term, citing his cooperation and stated distancing from Islamic State at the time. However, prosecutors also stated that Ballout had sought to join Islamic State in 2025, posting propaganda and attempting to travel to Syria via Turkey and Lebanon. He was previously arrested and sentenced in Lebanon for inciting religious conflict before returning to Germany.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt identified Ballout as a German citizen with Lebanese roots, born and raised in Berlin. He lived with his mother and three sisters. Ballout also had prior convictions for assault and robbery as a teenager. A search of his home in July on suspicion of violating weapons laws yielded only a toy gun, and that case was dropped. The German authorities have classified the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack.