The shooting took place at the Kurdish cultural center and in an adjacent hair salon in central Paris. The man, a 69-year-old retired train driver, was overpowered in a hair salon and was later arrested by the police. Upon arrest, the man stated that he had racist motives, reports Le Monde. Three people died in connection with the attack and three were injured.
A source within the French judiciary states that the man will be charged with murder, attempted murder with racial motives and illegal acquisition and possession of weapons, AP reports.
History of racist violence
According to prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the man stated that a break-in at his home triggered “a hatred of foreigners that became totally pathological”, reports Reuters.
The man has previously been convicted of weapons offences. In 2021, he was suspected of stabbing two people at a migrant facility with a sword. Days before the crime at the cultural center in Paris, the man should have been released on bail, the BBC reports.
“We are afraid”
Friday’s attack came nearly ten years after the murder of three Kurdish female activists in Paris, a crime that remains unsolved. The Kurdish community has expressed anger at French authorities who they believe could have done more to prevent Friday’s attack, reports Le Monde. Thousands of people gathered on Saturday for a minute’s silence for the three victims, which resulted in violent protests and clashes with police.
– The Kurdish community is afraid. It was already traumatized by the triple murder. We need answers, support and consideration, said David Andic, a lawyer representing the Kurdish Democratic Council in France, Reuters reports.