In the 10th arrondissement of Paris, a 69-year-old man killed three members of the Kurdish community and seriously injured three others. Kurdish protesters gathered at the scene of the tragedy and clashed with police forces.
A man opened fire at a Kurdish cultural center: “We saw an elderly white man go inside the cafeteria and start shooting, then he started shooting at the Kurdish cultural center, and then he went to a nearby hairdresser,” a restaurant employee told AFP.
“Full panic reigns, we locked ourselves inside,” the owner of one of the local stores told the Agence France-Presse. According to her, shooting started seven or eight times. As the head of the administration of the 10th district Alexandra Cordebar, the suspect was wounded during the shooting.
According to an eyewitness, the man took a pistol out of his bag and opened fire at people indiscriminately. Investigators said it could have been a racist crime.
It is reported that during the arrest, the suspect did not resist the police, who were able to take the weapon from him. According to law enforcement officers, the man was recently in prison. Laure Beccou, the chief prosecutor of Paris, said he had just been released after attacking tents in a Parisian refugee camp with a sword a year ago.
The attack on the camp took place in the Bercy district in the east of Paris on December 8, 2021. Why the man has already been released from prison is not yet specified. French media report that the home of the shooter is being searched.
French President Emmanuel Macron, a few hours after the attack, tweeted: “The Kurds of France are under a heinous attack in the heart of Paris. My thoughts are with the people who are fighting for their lives, with their families and loved ones. Thank you to the security forces for their bravery and coolness.”
Les Kurdes de France ont été la cible d’une odieuse attaque au cœur de Paris. Pensées aux victimes, aux personnes qui luttent pour vivre, à leurs familles et proches. Reconnaissance à nos forces de l’ordre pour leur courage et leur sang-froid.
— Emmanuel Macron (@Emmanuel Macron) December 23, 2022
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