Around three people were shot and killed in central Paris on Friday at a cafe and a Kurdish cultural centre.
President Emmanuel Macron said that the Kurdish community in France was the target of a horrific attack. The alleged attacker had intended to target foreigners, according to French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
Several gunshots were heard on Rue d’Enghien in the busy 10th sector of the French capital around noon, which is dotted with small stores and cafes. This caused fear on the street.
A lawyer for the Kurdish cultural centre informed local media that all three of the victims were Kurds. Three further people were hurt, one of whom required immediate medical attention.
As night fell, riot police used tear gas to disperse an irate mob that had assembled not far from the gunshot scene. Projectiles were thrown at police, trash cans and restaurant tables were knocked over, and automobiles were destroyed.
Authorities announced the arrest of a 69-year-old man who, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, had just been released from custody while awaiting trial for a sabre assault on a migrant camp in Paris a year prior. He had appealed his June conviction for using a weapon in violent crimes in 2016.
Images of a white Frenchman being led away from the scene while being handcuffed behind his back were shown on French TV networks on Friday.
