Police in France have arrested a man who authorities say killed a German tourist and injured two others in Paris on Saturday night, in what President Emmanuel Macron called "a terrorist attack."
The suspect is a 26-year-old French citizen who had previously spent four years in prison for planning a violent offense, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene.
The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office confirmed it has opened an investigation.
Darmanin said the man attacked the German national with a knife on the Quai de Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower, at around 9 p.m. local time.
The victim was with his wife, whose life was saved when a taxi driver intervened, Darmanin said.
The suspect then fled across a bridge to the other side of the Seine river, where he attacked two more people with a hammer, Darmanin said. Those victims, a French man and a British tourist, were treated for their injuries, which were not life-threatening, the BBC reported.
The attacker was subdued by police who used a Taser stun gun on him, Darmanin said.
He was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar"—Arabic for "God is greatest"—and told police that he was upset because "so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine," Darmanin said. The suspect also accused France of being "an accomplice to what Israel is doing" in the Gaza Strip, the minister added.
The man had been sentenced to four years in prison in 2016, the minister said, and was on French security services' watchlist. He was also known for having psychiatric disorders, he added.
J’adresse toutes mes condoléances à la famille et aux proches du ressortissant allemand décédé ce soir lors de l’attaque terroriste survenue à Paris et pense avec émotion aux personnes actuellement blessées et prises en charge.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 3, 2023
Mes plus sincères remerciements aux forces de…
Macron sent his condolences to the family of the man killed in the "terrorist attack" and praised police for quickly arresting the suspect.
"I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German national who died this evening during the terrorist attack in Paris and think with emotion of the people currently injured and in care," Macron wrote in French in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"My most sincere thanks to the emergency forces who made it possible to quickly arrest a suspect."
Macron said the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office will now investigate Saturday night's incident "so that justice can be done in the name of the French people."
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said France "will not give in to terrorism."
"Following this evening's attack in Paris, my thoughts are with the victim, the injured and their loved ones," Borne wrote on X.
"I salute the courage and professionalism of our law enforcement and our mobilized emergency services. We will not give in to terrorism. Never."
Update 12/3/23, 7:20 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on abortion rights, race, education, ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
