Police in Berlin say the chief suspect in the deadly attack near the city’s Pride celebrations, Abdul Ballout, is shot and killed during a confrontation with officers. Authorities identify Ballout as a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese roots. Sources say the incident took place after police located him at around 6:00 pm in a western suburb/borough of Berlin, following a manhunt that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin.
Berlin prosecutors and other reports describe the earlier attack as a vehicle-ramming incident near Christopher Street Day festivities that kills one person and injures 29. Police say Ballout ran toward officers with a bladed weapon, prompting officers to open fire and kill him. Multiple outlets report that prosecutors consider the attack to be consistent with Islamic extremist terrorism. Some sources add that prosecutors say Ballout had previously sought to join Islamic State. Federal prosecutors are also preparing to take over the case, according to reporting from outlets that cite court and prosecutorial processes.
