Paris shooting kills 3, suspected gunman arrested

A shooting in central Paris left three dead and several injured on Friday, French prosecutors said.

"There are three dead, one person in intensive care and two people with serious injuries, and the suspect, who was arrested, has also been injured, notably to the face," a prosecutor told reporters at the scene.

The lawyer of the Kurdish cultural center that had been targeted said all the people confirmed dead were members of the local Kurdish community, according to the Reuters news agency.

Officials had initially announced two deaths and four injuries, including two in critical condition. They later raised the death toll to three.

"An investigation has been opened for murder, voluntary manslaughter and aggravated violence," prosecutors said.

Suspect targeted 'foreigners'

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in press statements on Friday after visiting the scene of the shooting that the suspected attacker was clearly attempting to target foreigners, but that there was no evidence yet that Kurds were the specific target.

"We yet don't know his exact motives," he said.

The French interior minister said that Kurdish community gathering places should receive extra security after the attack. He added that Turkish diplomatic missions should also be secured, in case of counterattacks.

An eyewitness rtold Reuters that the suspect was targeting Kurds.

The attack prompted angry riots near the scene, where riot police fired teargas after being hit with projectiles, trash cans and restaurant tables, Reuters reported.

Macron, Scholz and Blinken denounce attack

French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the attack in comments on Twitter.

"The Kurds in France have been the target of an odious attack in the heart of Paris," Macron said. "Thoughts for the people who are fighting for their lives, their families and their loved ones. Thanks to the security forces for their courage and sang-froid."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the attack as a "terrible act" in a Tweet on Friday. He said his "thoughts are with the victims and their families."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock tweeted "hate must never win" following the attack.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter that his "deepest sympathies go out to the victims of the attack at the Kurdish cultural center in Paris."

Blinken added his thoughts were with "members of the Kurdish community and people of France on this sad day." 

What we know about the shooting

The gunman opened fire in the Rue d'Enghien, a street lined with small shops and cafes in Paris' 10th arrondissement.

The mayor of the arrondissement, Alexandra Cordebard, told reporters that the shooting took place at a Kurdish community center, a restaurant facing it and at a hair salon.

The French AFP news agency reported, citing witnesses, that seven or eight shots had been fired.

"It was total panic. We locked ourselves inside [a shop]," a witness was quoted as saying by AFP.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo thanked the police for "their decisive intervention" in the incident. 

The shooting came as the French capital's streets were bustling with activity before the Christmas weekend.

Police warned people to avoid the area, near the Gare de l'Est train station, as emergency workers were at the scene of the shooting. 

Suspect previously charged with racist violence

The suspect, a man in his 60s, had attacked a migrant center a year ago, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told reporters.

He had previously been charged with premeditated armed violence with a racist motive, she said, adding that he had been placed in detention and only released recently. 

Whether Friday's attack was motivated by racism "will obviously form part of our investigations which are starting now with the deployment of large numbers of people," she said.

fb/wd (AFP, Reuters)