Beautiful Day

A Luxembourg student, Ben Poull, had been at the scene only minutes before the attack. He had been having an amazing time, he said. He is heterosexual and not part of the minorities whose rights were being defended, but he had attended Christopher Street Day to show his support. He described it as "such a beautiful day", filled with "open and warm-hearted people".[1]

A van drove into a crowd near the Tiergarten, close to the Pride celebrations. The attacker then reportedly went after people with a large knife, seriously injuring several. One woman was killed. Twenty-nine people were injured, some of them seriously. The search for the attacker remains under way. Poull and his companions had "only very narrowly avoided being caught up in it".[1]

The suspected attacker, Abdul B., was known to the authorities and had been classified as a potentially dangerous Islamist. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed on Sunday afternoon that the attack was believed to have been Islamist-motivated. The 21-year-old suspect was born in Germany, holds German citizenship, and is of Lebanese origin. He had previously come to the authorities' attention over several offences and signs of radicalisation. He had also received a prison sentence, although the court had suspended it. Prosecutors appealed against that ruling.[1]

"For an attack to be carried out against them is so sad." That is what the student said. He is not part of the community. He went to show his support. He went because it was a beautiful day with open and warm-hearted people. He left minutes before the van. The van came after him. The knife came after the van. One woman is dead. Twenty-nine people are injured. The attacker was known to the authorities. He was classified as potentially dangerous. He had received a prison sentence. The court suspended it. The prosecutors appealed. The appeal was not heard in time. The van drove into the crowd. The knife went after the people. The people were open and warm-hearted. The day was beautiful. The day is not beautiful anymore. The student is alive because he left minutes before. The others are dead or injured because they did not. The interior minister announces tighter security measures. The tighter security measures come after the van. The van comes after the suspended sentence. The suspended sentence comes after the offences. The offences come after the signs of radicalisation. The signs of radicalisation come before the van. The van comes after. Everything comes after.[1]