who shot
The French television channel BFMTV reported that a 69-year-old man suddenly pulled a pistol from his bag and opened fire on Anghien Street. Eyewitnesses described hearing five gunshots from a distance of roughly 50 to 100 meters. Initially, the shooter fired blindly, then shifted his aim toward nearby targets, including a cultural center and a barbershop along the street.
The local mayor of the 10th district noted that the motive behind the attack remained unknown at the time of reporting. BFMTV identified the attacker as a 69-year-old retired railroad worker who had previously been detained for an armed assault on a refugee camp in the 12th arrondissement a year earlier. The assailant was injured during the arrest and is currently hospitalized. Police believe there were no accomplices involved in the incident.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that an investigation had been opened on charges of murder, intentional manslaughter, and serious violence. A medical and psychological emergency response was established near the scene. The bombardment claimed the lives of a woman and two men, while three more individuals were hospitalized, one in critical condition.
Investigators searched the attacker’s residence in the 2nd district, where the suspect’s parents, aged 91 and 93, were also found in the apartment. A relative describing the detainee’s behavior noted that the son had spent a year in prison and had then returned home quietly before this morning’s incident. The father told French media that his son had just been released and then acted again, expressing confusion about the recent events. He described his son as having become withdrawn after returning from prison and reportedly not speaking as he left home earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Kurdish representatives condemned the attack as a terrorist act, although French authorities had not yet classified it as such. Agit Polat, representing the Kurdish Democratic Council of France, stated that the incident was a terrorist attack and expressed anger over the situation. Polat urged authorities to suspend cooperation with Turkish intelligence services. In Paris, crowds gathered at the cultural center to observe a minute of silence for the victims. Some Kurdish protesters began erecting barricades at the scene, prompting a police deployment to withdraw and resulting in tense confrontations as officers moved in and the activists did not submit to control measures. These clashes led to injuries among police officers, according to Le Monde. Demonstrators set trash cans ablaze and threw stones, with responders using tear gas to restore order. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin arrived at the scene, with authorities maintaining control over the neighborhood at the time. The surrounding area remained under police supervision as investigators continued to compile statements and assess the evolving situation.