Three dead, several wounded after shooting in central Paris
The gunman opened fire in rue d'Enghien in Paris' 10th arrondissement.
French security personnel secure the street after several shots were fired along rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement, in Paris on Dec 23, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Thomas Samson)
PARIS: A shooter killed three people and wounded several others in a gun attack near a Kurdish cultural centre in Paris on Friday (Dec 23), the prosecutor's office said.
Multiple gunshots were fired in the Rue d'Enghien, a street lined with small shops and cafes in the capital's 10th arrondissement, sowing panic.
Armed police guarded a security cordon and several ambulances were at the scene, live television images showed.
"A gun attack has taken place. Thank you to the security forces for their swift action," tweeted deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire. "Thoughts for the victims and those who witnessed this drama."
An investigation into murder, manslaughter and aggravated violence has been opened, the Paris prosecutor's office said.
A 69-year-old man had been arrested and was in detention, and the incident was over, added the prosecutor's office.
Police did not indicate the motives of the alleged shooter.
The shots shortly before midday caused panic in the neighbourhood, a bustling area of shops, restaurants and bars.
Resident Emmanuel Boujenan told AFP that the man had been arrested in a hair salon.
"There were people panicking, shouting to the police and pointing to the salon 'he's in there, he's in there, go in'," he explained.
He said he saw two people on the floor of the salon with leg wounds.
One witness told French news agency AFP that seven or eight shots had been fired. A second witness, speaking to BFM TV, said the suspected gunman was a white man who opened fire in silence.
News of the shooting set nerves jangling in a city that has been repeatedly targeted by extremist terror groups since 2015.
Paris is also the scene of occasional outbreaks of gang violence.
