69-year-old arrested: three dead after shots in central Paris

A shooting broke out in Paris the day before Christmas Eve.

69-year-old arrested: three dead after shots in central Paris

A shooting broke out in Paris the day before Christmas Eve. Not far from the large department stores in the center of the French capital, a man shoots around - killing at least three people and injuring several. The perpetrator can be caught shortly thereafter.

At least three people were shot dead and four injured in Paris. One of the victims is seriously injured and his life is in danger. As the public prosecutor announced in Paris, they initiated investigations into intentional killing and serious violence. A 69-year-old man was arrested and is in police custody. It was a Frenchman who was known to the police because of two previous murder attempts, according to police circles. He is not on the secret service's list of endangered persons. Borough Mayor Alexandra Cordebard said he was taken to a hospital with injuries.

Media had previously reported that a man had fired multiple shots in Paris's tenth arrondissement. The crime took place in a Kurdish cultural center in the area around Rue d'Enghien. The attacker also fired at a restaurant and a hair salon across from the center. Rue d'Enghien is a small street with many restaurants, not far from the big boulevards with their famous department stores. The AFP news agency quotes an eyewitness: "There were seven or eight shots, there is panic." A psychological support service was set up in the district town hall.

The motive of the man is not yet clear. The Paris police initially gave no information about the incident. On Twitter, she called for people to avoid the area. Emmanuel Grégoire, who works for the Paris mayor, thanked the security forces for their quick action. His thoughts are with the victims and witnesses of the attack. The district mayor wanted to go to the scene of the incident.

France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also wants to go to the scene of the attack after the fatal shots were fired. Darmanin wrote on Twitter of a "dramatic shooting". All of his thoughts are with the families of the victims.