Key facts
- Abdul Ballout drove a van into a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day parade on July 25.
- The attack resulted in one fatality and 29 injuries.
- Ballout was killed by police approximately 20 hours later when he allegedly attacked officers.
- His mother describes him as a good person and struggles to accept his actions.
- Authorities have documented Ballout's radicalization, including posting Islamic State propaganda and expressing rejection of Germany's legal system.
The mother of Abdul Ballout, the 21-year-old who drove a van into a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day parade on July 25, killing one and injuring 29, has spoken out about her son. She described him as a good person, a loving son and brother, and expressed pain over how he is being portrayed.
Ballout's mother, who requested anonymity, shared videos and memories of her son, highlighting his playful nature and family interactions. She stated that he had become increasingly religious in recent years, urging her to observe Islam more strictly. She also noted his recent nervousness and constant changing of phone numbers, which she now believes was a sign of his realization that he was under surveillance and planning an attack.
Authorities, however, have documented a different trajectory for Ballout. Court records reveal he posted Islamic State propaganda, circulated audio files with religious preaching, and expressed rejection of Germany's democratic system. He converted from Shiite to Sunni Islam in 2021 and adopted the online alias Abu Muawiyah. Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office classified him as a high-risk individual capable of politically motivated violence. His radicalization was noted by Berlin's State Criminal Police Office as early as 2021, and he frequented Salafist-influenced mosques from 2023 onward.
Ballout was killed by police in suburban Spandau about 20 hours after the attack when he allegedly attempted to attack officers with a knife. He was buried nine days later at Gatow Cemetery in Berlin. The victim of the attack was a 65-year-old woman from Poland. A gay refugee from Iraq, who survived the attack, spoke of the renewed fear and the fragility of his sense of safety in Germany.