Two people have been killed and several severely injured after an elderly gunman opened fire in Paris, sparking ‘total panic’.
The shooter, believed to be a 69-year-old retired train driver, opened fire at the Ahmet-Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre in the 10th arrondissement near the Gare du Nord, as bloodshed returned to the streets of the French capital.
Police managed to wrench the gun from him and arrest him to stop the horror rampage after bullets rang out in the city centre.
Local news outlets claim two people have been confirmed dead so far and four were injured, with two in a critical condition, but police have not yet confirmed the casualties.
Paris police said they were dealing with an incident on the Rue d’Enghien and urged the public to stay away from the area.
One witness told French news agency AFP that seven or eight shots had been fired, as mayhem broke out on the surrounding streets.
A shopkeeper in the area said: ‘It was total panic. We locked ourselves inside.’
Local resident Emmanuel Boujenan said: ‘There were e in a panic who were shouting at the police: “He’s there, he’s there, come on!” by pointing out a hairdressing salon” .
Stretchers were brought to the scene of the shooting and a security perimeter was set up by police.
Paris has been the target of a series of deadly gun and knife attacks in recent years.
The motives of the gunman remain unclear.
