A shooter in Paris killed at least three people on Friday after firing at a Kurdish community center and cafe, leading authorities to investigate a racist motive.
The suspect, a 69-year-old man, has been taken into custody and hospitalized with light injuries, the New York Times reported. Three other people were wounded, one of them seriously, according to Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor.
The gunman fired at a Kurdish cultural center and a nearby Kurdish cafe, according to Reuters, as well as a hair salon, according to the Times. The incident took place along Rue d’Enghien, a narrow street lined with businesses near the heart of the French capital.
Beccuau said police were investigating a possible racist motive. But the mayor of the Paris district where the shooting took place said, “We don’t know exactly what his motivations were.”
Video taken from the scene showed an extensive emergency response.
Social media footage also showed a group of Kurds chanting slogans near the scene.
In another video, medical responders wheel an injured man off the scene on a gurney.
Beccuau’s office said the suspect’s identity is still being verified. But Beccuau said they had previously been involved in at least two other criminal cases, including a conviction.
A year ago, they were detained and suspected of attacking a migrant camp with a sword, Reuters reported. They were investigated for racial motivations but ultimately released.
BFM TV reported the suspect was a French national, and that a witness said they were a white man who remained silent as he opened fire, according to Reuters.
French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said the “dramatic shooting” took place in the morning.
