The man accused of carrying out the deadly attack near a Pride celebration in Berlin had previously attempted to join the Islamic State group and had been released on probation just months before the incident, German officials revealed on Sunday.

The disclosures have sparked intense political debate in Germany over how a man previously convicted of terrorism-related offenses was allowed to return to the community.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt questioned the court’s decision to suspend the suspect’s prison sentence.

“How can a sentence actually be suspended on probation for someone who is identified as a threat?” Dobrindt said in an interview with public broadcaster ARD.

Authorities said the 21-year-old suspect, identified only as Abdul B. in accordance with German privacy laws, was fatally shot by police on Sunday after allegedly charging at officers with a weapon.

The shooting occurred a day after he was suspected of carrying out an attack near a Berlin Pride event that left one woman dead and 29 others injured. German authorities have classified the incident as an act of Islamist terrorism.

According to prosecutors, Abdul B. attempted to join the Islamic State group in May 2025. He traveled to Lebanon, where he has family connections, with the intention of reaching Syria and joining the extremist organization.

He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and sentenced to three months in prison on charges that included incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.

After returning to Germany, the suspect was arrested at Berlin Airport in November 2025 and remained in pretrial detention until May of this year.

A juvenile court later sentenced him to one year and 10 months in prison for offenses including preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state.

Prosecutors said the suspect had also shared Islamic State propaganda on social media in 2024.

Under Germany’s juvenile justice system, however, the sentence was suspended on probation.

According to prosecutors, the court cited several mitigating factors, including that the defendant had already spent nine months in custody, had largely confessed to the charges, and had claimed to have distanced himself from ISIS. The court also concluded that no immediate terrorist attack had materialized at the time of sentencing.

Prosecutors said they disagreed with the ruling and have appealed the sentence, seeking a longer prison term.

The revelations have intensified scrutiny of Germany’s counterterrorism and judicial systems, with political leaders calling for a review of how convicted extremist offenders are assessed before being released back into society.