World
09:09, 12-Dec-2018
Strasbourg shooting: 3 dead, police hunt gunman as alert level raised
Updated
08:54, 15-Dec-2018
["europe"]
Share
Copied
00:45
Three people were killed and 13 others injured in a shooting near a Christmas market in the eastern French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday.
With the gunman on the run, France has raised its security threat to the highest alert level, strengthening controls on its border with Germany.
The shooter has been identified as a 29-year-old French man named Cherif Chekatt. Police officials said the shooter has a thick police record for crimes including armed robbery.
The man has been radicalized in prison and has been monitored by French intelligence services since his release from jail in late 2015, because of his suspected religious extremism, said Laurent Nunez, a senior interior ministry official.
Security forces searched through eastern France on Wednesday. Hundreds of policemen, two helicopters, officers from elite anti-terror units and soldiers have been mobilized as part of the efforts to find the suspect.
French police officers stand guard near the scene of shooting in Strasbourg, France, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
French police officers stand guard near the scene of shooting in Strasbourg, France, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
Authorities earlier said police cornered the suspect, and a gunfire exchange ensued. However, he managed to flee the scene and is still at large.
The motive of the shooting was not immediately clear.
The Ministry of Interior has called on the public to remain indoors in the wake of the "serious security event" in the city.
The prosecutor's office said the French counter-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe tweeted, "The situation is still underway, priority is given to security forces and rescuers."
French President Emmanuel Macron adjourned a meeting at the presidential palace on Tuesday night, his office said.
Emergency workers intervene after a shooting near the Christmas market in Strasbourg, eastern France, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
Emergency workers intervene after a shooting near the Christmas market in Strasbourg, eastern France, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
The Strasbourg-based European Parliament was also on lockdown after reports of the shooting, AFP reported.
The Christmas market in Strasbourg is an annual tourist attraction that draws a large gathering of people.
(Top image: Emergency workers escort a woman after a shooting near a Christmas market in Strasbourg, eastern France, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo)
(With inputs from agencies.)
7949km