Stephanie Leacock/Reuters
French police secure the Bir Hakeim Bridge after the attack that occurred in Paris on December 2.
Paris
CNN
—
French police arrested a man suspected of killing one person and wounding two others in a knife and hammer attack in central Paris.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene on Saturday evening that the attack occurred in Bir Hakeim, near the Eiffel Tower.
He said that the arrested man was a French citizen previously known to the intelligence services.
He added that one man – a German tourist born in the Philippines – was killed in the attack and two others sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Sunday that one of the injured was a British citizen.
Darmanin said that one of the police officers present at the scene used a stun gun to neutralize the attacker. He added that the suspect’s life was not in danger.
“After his arrest, he said he could no longer bear to see Muslims die in both Afghanistan and Palestine,” Darmanin said.
Dimitar Delkov/AFP/Getty Images
Judicial police are working at the scene of the stabbing incident.
Speaking to reporters, Darmanin said that the suspect was born in France in 1997 and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 on charges of planning a “violent act.”
Darmanin added that the suspect is known to the intelligence services as suffering from “serious psychological disorders.”
The minister said that the police told him that the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.
Watch this interactive content on CNN.com
French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as a terrorist attack and said that the French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office would conduct an investigation.
“I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German citizen who died this evening,” Macron wrote in a post on X in the early hours of Sunday.
He also thanked the French emergency services.
“The Office of the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor will now be responsible for shedding light on this matter so that justice can be served in the name of the French people,” Macron wrote.
Videos taken at the scene showed police cars, ambulances and the Paris Fire Brigade arriving, with heavy traffic being diverted away. Many cordons were also created.
Members of the public have been advised to avoid the area.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
“Infuriatingly humble analyst. Bacon maven. Proud food specialist. Certified reader. Avid writer. Zombie advocate. Incurable problem solver.”