Three killed after gunman opens fire on Kurdish cultural center in Paris

Three killed after gunman opens fire on Kurdish cultural center in Paris

He said he saw two people lying on the salon floor with leg injuries.

The Kurdish community center, called Center Ahmet Kaya, is used by a charity that works to integrate the Kurdish population in the Paris region.

‘Seven or eight shots’

The shooter was described by police sources as “white”, of French nationality and known for two previous attempted murders in 2016 and 2021.

His motives remain unclear, but his identity and target immediately raised suspicions that the shooting could be racially motivated.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has repeatedly warned of the danger posed by violent far-right groups in France.

The shooter was injured and “has been taken to the hospital,” 10th District Mayor Alexandra Cordebard said at the scene of the shooting.

A shopkeeper in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity she heard seven or eight shots and said: “It was total panic. We locked ourselves in.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation has been opened and that “a man aged between 60 and 70 has been arrested and is in custody”.

“His identity is currently being verified,” it added.

News of the shooting rattled nerves in a city that has been repeatedly targeted by Islamist terror groups since 2015.