The Seattle Police Department is searching for two men who climbed over the glass wall of the city's iconic Space Needle on Friday, flipped over the edge and parachuted down from the 605-foot structure.
The jumpers face trespassing charges, according to a report provided by Public Affairs Officer Brian Pritchard.
The BASE jumpers purchased tickets and entered the Space Needle at about 8:50 p.m. Friday, according to the Seattle Police Department. The popular attraction has a round observation deck surrounded by high glass windows that are open to the sky above.
They were seen on camera at the top level of the Needle then went into a restroom, coming out with helmets on, according to police.
They ran to the glass window, climbed over to the other side, and jumped off, according to police.
Security at the Space Needle were unsure where the men landed, and police could not locate the individuals. They have not been identified by authorities and were described only as white men in their late 20s.
BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves jumping off objects and deploying a parachute. It is an acronym for the platforms parachutists leap from: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and Earth.
The Space Needle did not immediately return emailed requests for comment on Saturday.
FILE - The sun sets behind the Space Needle as a small plane flies by on the first day of spring, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson,File)
BERLIN (AP) — A van slammed into people gathered for Berlin’s famed LGBTQ+ event on Saturday night, killing one person, injuring at least 16 others and prompting police to call off the celebrations and a concert in the German capital hours after they had begun.
Berlin police said they have identified a suspect who has not been arrested and he has ties to Islamic extremists in the German capital.
“The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” said police spokesman Florian Nath. He did not identify the suspect by name.
Earlier, police said some of the victims had life-threatening injuries. In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the site of the event immediately as ambulances and firefighters attended to the victims.
“We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” police officer Florian Nath said on a short video released on the Berlin police account on X.
According to police, a white van had driven into the Tiergarten park around 10 p.m., which is next to the route that the pride march had passed along earlier, and hit several people before colliding with a tree. Police could not say how many officers had been deployed to the scene but that it was “definitely a lot of police.”
Overall, more than 2,200 police officers have been on duty in Berlin since Saturday morning to protect the pride parade and other LGBTQ+ events in the city.
Police were conducting witness interrogations at the park during the night and were investigating accounts that in addition to the crash some victims appeared to have suffered stab wounds — but that it was too early to draw any conclusion from those accounts.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock, saying that “following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”
“This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society,” Wegner said. “I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate.”
Meanwhile, authorities called on possible witnesses to come forward and share with police any video or photos they might have taken at the scene of the attack.
The city also activated a crisis hotline for people missing friends or family members.
Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin on Saturday to celebrate at Berlin’s pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day. It’s one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.
The pride event in front of the city’s Brandenburg Gate, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10:15 p.m. and a band’s performance on stage was interrupted. People were urged to go home and to avoid taking the route through the park.
Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music, and cheering the around 80 floats that participated in the parade.
Julian Miethig, who had attended the LGBTQ+ party at the Brandenburg Gate earlier, said he had just wanted to go to an afterparty when he heard from a friend that “something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances.”
He said he went to Tiergarten and was shocked that something like this could have happened at Berlin’s pride celebrations.
“It’s a dark day for the community,” he said.
Mayor Kai Wegner speaks to the media in Berlin, early Sunday, July 26, 2026, following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Emergency personnel gather at an intersection following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day activities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Fanny Brodersen)
Emergency personnel use flashlights following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in the Tiergarten area of Berlin on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
Emergency personnel gather following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A person wrapped in a thermal blanket stands near emergency personnel following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa/dpa via AP)
The crowd celebrate during the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Emergency personnel tend to a person on a stretcher following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Andreas Rabenstein/dpa via AP)
People march with a rainbow flag during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
People wave during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
People stand on 17 June Street following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
Participants with dog masks attend the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
People march with a rainbow flag during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
People carry a "Leather Pride Flag" during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
People wave during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
Police officers are on the scene following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa/dpa via AP)
