Vehicle rams crowd at Berlin Pride event near Brandenburg Gate; one dead, 17 injured

BERLIN, Germany — A vehicle drove into a crowd at an LGBTİ+ Pride event near the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin on Saturday evening, killing one person and injuring 17 others, several of them critically, German police said. Witnesses told local media the car entered the gathering at high speed, triggering panic at the scene in the Tiergarten park area. Police said a suspect had been identified and that the individual is believed to have links to Islamist circles. A wide-scale security operation was launched in the hours after the attack, with authorities searching for the driver. Multiple ambulances and police units were dispatched to the area, which sits within a large security perimeter around the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin's police headquarters said security measures across the city have been increased and that the investigation is being pursued along multiple lines. Officials added that the identity of the person killed will be released once next of kin have been notified. No further details on the suspect or possible motive were immediately available.