At Least Six Injured In Attack At Central Paris Railway Station
At least six people were injured in an attack at Paris’ Gare Du Nord central railway station early Wednesday, French authorities said.
An individual began attacking people at 6:42 a.m. local time and was neutralized a minute later, according to French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The individual was disarmed by off-duty police officers who were going home and by border police, Darmanin said in a press conference.
The attacker made the weapon himself, Darmanin added. Paris police had earlier said the individual started attacking people with a knife at 6:45 a.m. local time.
Several police officers opened fire, including a security agent working for rail operator SNCF, police said. Multiple shots were fired and the alleged attacker was injured.
A spokesman for the Paris Prosecutor’s Office said six people were injured, including a member of the French border police. One of the injured is in critical condition. The suspect is also in a critical condition, the spokesman said.
The motive for the knife attack is unknown, according to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.
The French national Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said it is “evaluating the facts” about the attack, but has not yet taken the case. The fact that the suspected attacker was injured may lengthen the time it will take to evaluate the facts about the case, the office added.
Darmanin arrived at Gare du Nord soon after the attack Wednesday morning. Earlier, he wrote on Twitter that the alleged attacker had injured several people before being “quickly neutralized.”
“Thankful to the police for their effective and courageous response,” Darmanin tweeted.
French rail operator SNCF reported traffic disruptions at the departure and arrival areas of the station following the alleged attack.
“The police seem to have opened fire against a dangerous person who injured travelers at Gare du Nord,” it tweeted.
A security perimeter has been established but the station continues to operate normally, SNCF added.
Source: CNN
