Following the terrorist attack during Christopher Street Day in Berlin, the police are searching for a suspect using a photograph and checking at all German borders. Abdul Ballout, aged 21, is alleged to have driven a car into several people in the Tiergarten area at around 10 pm on Saturday evening. One woman died in the attack. According to information obtained by the newspaper BILD, the 21-year-old is a German citizen of Lebanese origin. He was born in Berlin in 2005.
According to information obtained by BILD, Ballout is known to the police for offences including grievous bodily harm and extortion with the intent to rob. He is also said to be a supporter of the terrorist organisation Islamic State. The 21-year-old was released from a youth detention centre as recently as May.
The man is described as follows:
slender build
approximately 1.90 metres tall
black hair
wearing a black hoodie and white trousers
Please do not under any circumstances approach the person in question if you see him, and avoid direct contact. Abdul Ballout may be armed and dangerous! Contact the police emergency number 110 immediately.
“The man is known to the police and is believed to be linked to the Islamist community in Berlin,” police spokesperson Florian Nath had previously stated. The suspect is said to have been released from youth detention as recently as May 2026. It is not yet clear whether he was driving the vehicle. The empty car, which the police spokesperson described as having been severely damaged, was seized in the vicinity of the crime scene.
Anyone with information regarding Abdul Ballout’s possible current whereabouts is asked to contact the Berlin Police tip-off portal or any police station.