Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Berlin Police Kill Van Attacker After 24-Hour Manhunt

7/26/2026

22 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Police shot and killed 21-year-old Abdul Ballout in Spandau after a 24-hour manhunt.
He had driven a white van into a Tiergarten crowd on July 25, 2026, killing one woman, wounding 29, and stabbing victims with a machete.
Prosecutors said he tried to join Islamic State, held a suspended 1-year-10-month sentence, and that the attack was an assault on openness.

History

Historical Context

On 14 July 2016, Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a cargo truck into Bastille-Day crowds on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, killing 86 and injuring 458. The attack followed the November 2015 Paris bombings, prompting President François Hollande to extend France’s state of emergency and spurring the EU to broaden its 2017 Counter-Terrorism Directive amid a rise in vehicle-ramming assaults across Europe.

1 of 2

Story summary

Police shot and killed 21-year-old Abdul Ballout in Spandau after a 24-hour manhunt.
He had driven a white van into a Tiergarten crowd on July 25, 2026, killing one woman, wounding 29, and stabbing victims with a machete.
Prosecutors said he tried to join Islamic State, held a suspended 1-year-10-month sentence, and that the attack was an assault on openness.

1 / 2