One police officer is dead and another two are seriously injured after a gunman opened fire in the Paris shopping district of Champs-Elysees. It comes only days before the French are due to vote in their presidential election.
Earlier reports suggested that two officers were dead, but Pierre-Henry Brandet, the interior ministry spokesman, confirmed that only one had died. He also confirmed that the gunman had been shot while attempting to flee the scene.
UPDATE: The police officer injured in the Champs Elysees shooting has now died. #9News https://t.co/QX9jAIwVyB pic.twitter.com/e0gHJsSinN
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) April 20, 2017
Police allegedly have a name for the gunman, and it matches a suspect known to security services. However, a fingerprint match has not been conclusively established. The attacker’s home east of Paris is reportedly being searched.
A French government spokesman says the Paris assailant used a “war weapon” to fire on officers. Some reports suggest that it was an AK-47 rifle, but this is unconfirmed.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for another suspect who arrived from Belgium by train, according to Reuters.
We’ll keep you updated.
Source: The Telegraph.
Photo: Reuters.
