Several dead, others injured in Paris shooting: Prosecutor
French police arrest a gunman in his 60s for carrying out a shooting attack in central Paris, which left several killed and others injured.
French police and prosecutors said on Friday that three people were killed and four were injured in a shooting in central Paris, adding that the shooter, in his 60s, was arrested.
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said the shooting took place in a Kurdish cultural center in the city.
The motives of the gunman remain unclear, with two of the four injured left in serious condition, the French officials indicated.
"The shooter has been arrested with his weapon. The danger is over," a police source told AFP. "His motives remain unknown at this stage."
🔴 ALERTE INFO - #FaitsDivers : Une #fusillade à Paris dans le 10ème arrondissement fait au moins 4 blessés et 2 morts. Un suspect d'une soixantaine d'années a été interpelé. #shooting #fusilladeparis pic.twitter.com/vIHdTUHy4U
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) December 23, 2022
The shots shortly before midday (1100 GMT) caused panic in the neighborhood, a bustling area of shops, restaurants, and bars.
Resident Emmanuel Boujenan told AFP that the man had been arrested in a hair salon.
According to Boujenan, "There were people panicking, shouting to the police and pointing to the salon 'he's in there, he's in there, go in'."
He said he saw two people on the floor of the salon with leg wounds.
An ambulance arrives at the scene of a shooting at Central Paris which has left reportedly 2 people dead and several others injured. #Paris #Breakingnews #Parisshooting #Breaking #Gunman #France #WorldNews pic.twitter.com/LM0zKzA2Z5
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) December 23, 2022
A shopkeeper in the area told AFP she had heard seven or eight shots in rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement, saying, "It was total panic. We locked ourselves inside."
The Paris prosecutor's office said an investigation had been opened and that "a man aged between 60 and 70 has been arrested and is in custody."
"His identity is in the process of being checked," it added.
On his part, French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, said he would travel to Paris and visit the scene of the "dramatic" shooting.
Updates to follow...