The Paris prosecutor said Friday that at least three people were killed in a shooting in central Paris, and that the suspected attacker was known to authorities.
According to Laure Beccuau, one person is in critical condition and two others have been hospitalized with less serious injuries. She stated that the suspect was injured during his arrest and had been taken to the hospital.
Investigators, she said, would look into any possible racist element in the shooting on rue d’Enghien, a busy shopping street in Paris’ 10th arrondissement or district that was bustling with shoppers ahead of the holiday weekend.
Beccuau’s office opened a murder and attempted murder investigation.
Anti-terrorism prosecutors were in contact with investigators, but there was no evidence of a terrorist motive, according to Beccuau.
According to the Associated Press, she also stated that the suspect had a prior police record, including an arrest for assaulting migrants living in tents, and that investigators were looking into a possible racist motive for the shooting.
The shooting took place near a Kurdish cultural center, as well as a restaurant and a hairdresser, according to Alexandra Cordebard, mayor of the 10th arrondissement.
Later, at a press conference, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that it was unclear whether the shooter specifically targeted members of the Kurdish community, but that “he did clearly go after foreigners.”
He went on to say that the government had asked police to beef up security at Kurdish community sites throughout the country.
According to Darmanin, the suspect was a 69-year-old man who was not known to the police or intelligence services for radicalization or association with the right-wing, and he acted alone.
Deputy Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire thanked security forces for their “swift action” on Twitter.
“Thoughts for the victims and those who witnessed this drama,” he added.
In recent years, the French capital has been rocked by a series of violent attacks. A middle school teacher who displayed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad was beheaded by a man who was later shot dead by police in 2020.
In 2015, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks on city entertainment venues, killing 130 people and injuring 368 others.
France is still on high alert for terrorist-related violence.
Nancy Ing contributed reporting from Paris, and Leila Sackur from London.
