Teargas was used on protesters at the site of a fatal shooting in Paris outside a Kurdish community center on Friday (December 23).
Three people were killed inside and near the Kurdish Cultural Center Ahmet-Kaya located on Rue d’Enghien and were reported to be Kurds, a lawyer representing the cultural center confirmed to CNN on Thursday (December 22).
The suspected shooter, identified as a 69-year-old French man with an extensive criminal record, was arrested, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene.
The suspect wasn’t part of any groups monitored by authorities but “clearly wanted to take it out on foreigners,” according to Darmanin.
“For now, no elements can allow us to know if the attack is specifically targeting Kurdish people,” Daramin added.
Clashes with dozens of protesters, most of whom were of Kurdish descent, took place during Daramin’s visit to scene on Friday, which resulted in teargas being used.
The shooting hasn’t been designated as a terrorist attack, however, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said investigators weren’t ruling out potential “racist motivations” as motivating factors for the shooting.
“When it comes to racist motivations, of course these elements are part of the investigation that was just launched,” Beccuau said.
French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the incident as a “heinous attack” where “the Kurds of France have been the target” in a post shared on his verified Twitter account.
