Deadly shooting near the Christmas market in Strasbourg, France
A suspect on a terror watch list was wanted on Wednesday after three people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in a shooting near a Christmas market in Strasbourg.
Police had raided the suspect’s home hours before Tuesday’s attack as part of a burglary investigation.
Cultural sites and sports centers were closed on Wednesday as 350 police were deployed in the manhunt.
The shooting took place shortly before 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) near a Christmas market that attracts millions of tourists each year. Strasbourg considers itself the “capital of Christmas”.
The suspect fled and exchanged gunfire with police between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time, according to Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. He said the suspect had a criminal record in France and Germany.
A prosecutor had earlier said officers were looking for the suspect in connection with an alleged criminal association with a terrorist group and an assassination attempt.
Authorities believe a handgun was used in the attack. Of the at least 12 injured, six have serious injuries, police said.
Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries said those killed were adults and included a Thai tourist.
He told BFMTV that “life must go on” and that the city would not give in to a “terrorist trying to disrupt our way of life”.
A State Department spokesperson said the United States condemns “in the strongest terms this horrific attack” and that “our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected.”
Jonathan Diest, Linda Givetash, Reuters, Associated Press, Nick Bailey and Emmanuelle Saliba, Euronews contributed.