2022 Paris shooting

On 23 December 2022, a mass shooting occurred at three Kurdish locations in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, France. Three people were killed, and three others were wounded in and around a Kurdish cultural center on Rue d'Enghien.[2][3]

2022 Paris shooting
General view of the rue d'Enghien from the crossroads with rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis.
Location10th arrondissement of Paris, France
Coordinates48°52′19″N 02°21′06″E
Date23 December 2022
10:40 CET (UTC+1)
TargetKurdish people
Attack type
Mass shooting
Weapon.45 Colt handgun[1]
Deaths3
Injured4 (including the suspect)
No. of participants
1
MotiveAnti-Kurdish sentiment, racism, xenophobia

Investigators believe the shooting to be an act of right-wing terrorism. The suspect, 69-year-old William M., has confessed to having been motivated by racism,[4][5] and declared that he "didn't like the Kurds".[6]

Background

The attack came as right-wing violence is on the rise in France.[7][8][9] The attack also comes almost ten years after the triple murder against Kurdish activists in January 2013.[10]

Shooting

The mass shooting took place on 23 December 2022, shortly before noon, on Rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, near the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre.[11] The assailant, armed with a Colt 45,[12] fired three shots towards the cultural center, killing two people.[13][14] He next fired three shots in the direction of a Kurdish restaurant opposite the cultural center, killing one person.[13] He then fired three shots into a Kurdish hairdressing salon, wounding three people.[15][16]

Victims

Three people were killed in the shooting: Emine Kara, the head of the Kurdish women's movement in France;[17][18][19] a Kurdish singer-songwriter and political refugee; and an elderly man who was a regular at the cultural center.[20]

Three others were wounded, including one in critical condition. The assailant, before his arrest, was wounded in the face.[21]

Suspect

The suspect, 69-year-old William M., was arrested at the crime scene.[22][1] He was quickly identified due to an SNCF ID card that was found in his wallet.[1] At the time of his arrest, he had a briefcase which contained two or three loaded magazines and a box of 45 caliber cartridges with at least 25 cartridges inside it.[23] A retired SNCF train driver, he lived in the 10th arrondissement.[1][24]

During the investigation, he said that he would have first "sought to shoot foreigners in Saint Denis" before he changed his mind and decided to target the Kurdish community in the 10th arrondissement, faced with the lack of people in the streets.[25][26]

In 2016, he stabbed a burglar with a kitchen knife, and he was sentenced to twelve months in prison in June 2021.[27][28] In 2017, he was sentenced to six months in prison for prohibited possession of weapons.[1] In 2021, he attacked a migrant camp in Bercy with a sword,[29][30] injuring three migrants and tearing down six tents.[31] He was under investigation for "racist violence with weapons".[32] During the hearings before the investigating judge, he made profane remarks of "unambiguous racism",[1] and he was released on 12 December 2022 and placed under judicial supervision.[33][34] Despite those legal convictions, he was never registered in the FINIADA (a national file of persons who are prohibited from acquiring and possessing weapons) and no search had been carried out at his home.[35]

A firearms enthusiast and a sport shooter,[36] he said he obtained the Colt 45 used in the shooting from a friend he had met at a shooting club in Versailles.[1] At the time of his arrest, the gunman had two or three magazines loaded with 14 rounds, as well as an additional 25 rounds.[23] He allegedly said that he acted because he was a "racist",[37] and he made incoherent remarks during his arrest, telling the police that he "didn't like Kurds".[6]

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that the suspect was not the subject of a file which is linked to the "ultra-right" and he also stated that the suspect "was not known to the intelligence services, nor to the Directorate General of Homeland Security".[38] He stated that the suspect was "obviously looking to prey on foreigners" and he also stated that the suspect "acted alone".[39][40]

An investigation of assassination, intentional homicide, aggravated violence, and weapons violations was opened and allocated to the criminal brigade of the DRPJ.[41][42]

On 24 December, the suspect was released from police custody and placed under psychiatric evaluation.[43]

Aftermath

During Darmanin’s visit to the crime scene on 23 December, police clashed with Kurdish protestors, firing tear gas at them.[44] Hundreds of Kurds gathered outside the center and in neighboring streets to protest the shootings, clashing with security forces, throwing stones and garbage cans. The clashes injured eleven officers, according to the French police.[45] There were further violent protests on 24 December.[46] Representatives of the local Kurdish community were not satisfied with the investigation's focus on the French assailant and deemed a possible involvement of the Turkish Government be included in the investigation.[10] It was announced that in France, Kurdish community centers would be guarded 24 hours a day to prevent a similar event.[47] Similar steps were announced for Turkish diplomatic missions.[47]

Following the attack, Turkey asked France to restrict the "anti-Turkish" activity of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), France's ambassador to Turkey was summoned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, to express Turkey's displeasure with the PKK's "black propaganda" against Turkey.[48][49]

See also

References
  1. Ceaux, Pascal; Sellami, Stéphane (23 December 2022). "Fusillade à Paris contre un centre kurde : l'inquiétant profil du tireur". Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. "Paris shooting: Suspect admits 'pathological' hatred of migrants". BBC News. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  3. "Paris shooting: Three dead and several injured in attack". BBC News. 23 December 2022.
  4. "Faits-divers. Tuerie à Paris : la piste de l'attentat raciste privilégiée". Le Progrès (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  5. "Le suspect du triple meurtre à Paris s'est déclaré « raciste » devant la police". Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  6. Laratte, Aubin; Décugis, Jean-Michel; Goinard, Nicolas (23 December 2022). "Attaque à Paris : ce que l'on sait du suspect, William M., déjà connu pour avoir agressé des migrants". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  7. "Ultra-droite : la résurgence de la violence inquiète les services de renseignements". Franceinfo (in French). 16 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  8. Plottu, Pierre; Macé, Maxime. "Menace terroriste d'extrême droite: la France en première ligne". Libération (in French). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  9. "Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism in Europe Current Developments and Issues for the Futur". PRISM | National Defense University. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  10. "Kurdischer Verband spricht nach Mehrfachmord in Paris von "Terroranschlag"". stern.de (in German). Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  11. « Coups de feu à Paris : plusieurs morts après une attaque armée près d’un centre culturel kurde dans le 10ᵉ arrondissement », Le Monde, 23 décembre 2022.
  12. "Le suspect du triple meurtre à Paris s'est déclaré « raciste » devant la police". lejdd.fr (in French). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. "DOCUMENT RTL - Fusillade à Paris : un témoin raconte la scène d'horreur". www.rtl.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  14. "Une attaque fait 3 morts à Paris: l'entrée de l'assaillant dans un salon de coiffure a été filmée par une caméra de surveillance". RTL Info (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  15. "DOCUMENT RTL - Fusillade à Paris : un témoin raconte la scène d'horreur". www.rtl.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  16. "Trois morts dans une fusillade à Paris : bilan, profil du tireur, échauffourées… Ce que l'on sait du drame". SUD OUEST (in French). 23 December 2022. ISSN 1760-6454. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  17. Pascariello, Pascale. "« C'est un attentat, il faut poser les mots » : à Paris, la communauté kurde dit sa colère". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  18. Duvar, Gazete (24 December 2022). "Paris'te öldürülen Mir Perwer'i yakınları anlattı: Bir halk sanatçısıydı". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  19. "Militants kurdes, réfugiés politiques... Qui sont les trois victimes de la fusillade à Paris ? I.N". TF1 Info. 24 December 2022.
  20. "Coups de feu à Paris en direct : au moins trois militants kurdes tués par balles, Macron dénonce une « odieuse attaque » contre « les Kurdes de France »". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  21. "3 people died when a shooter targeted a Kurdish cultural center in Paris". NPR. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  22. "Fusillade mortelle à Paris : ce que l'on sait du tireur présumé".
  23. "Le suspect de la fusillade de Paris dit avoir agi par racisme". www.20minutes.fr (in French). 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  24. "Ancien cheminot, déjà connu de la justice... le profil du suspect de la fusillade à Paris se dessine". TF1 INFO (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  25. "Kurdes tués à Paris: le suspect voulait d'abord s'en prendre à des étrangers à Saint-Denis". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 25 December 2022.
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  28. Goinard, Nicolas; Décugis, Jean-Michel (23 December 2022). "Fusillade à Paris : William M., un retraité «taciturne» et passionné d'armes qui avait déjà essayé de tuer". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  29. "Fusillade à Paris: trois morts et trois blessés dont un en urgence absolue, un homme interpellé". RMC (in French). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  30. "Fusillade à Paris: le suspect avait attaqué un camp de migrants au sabre, il venait d'être libéré". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  31. "Fusillade mortelle à Paris : l'auteur présumé avait déjà perpétré une attaque au sabre en 2021". TF1 INFO (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
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  33. "Fusillade mortelle à Paris : l'auteur présumé avait déjà perpétré une attaque au sabre en 2021". TF1 INFO (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  34. "Fusillade à Paris : pourquoi le suspect a-t-il été remis en liberté ?". www.rtl.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  35. Goinard, Nicolas; Décugis, Jean-Michel (23 December 2022). "Fusillade à Paris : William M., un retraité «taciturne» et passionné d'armes qui avait déjà essayé de tuer". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  36. Goinard, Nicolas; Décugis, Jean-Michel (23 December 2022). "Fusillade à Paris : William M., un retraité «taciturne» et passionné d'armes qui avait déjà essayé de tuer". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  37. "Le suspect du triple meurtre à Paris s'est déclaré « raciste » devant la police". lejdd.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  38. "Fusillade à Paris: Darmanin annonce que "le suspect n'était pas fiché" et "a manifestement agi seul"". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  39. "VIDEO. Attaque mortelle à Paris : le tireur a voulu "manifestement s'en prendre à des étrangers", mais on ignore s'il visait des Kurdes, affirme Gérald Darmanin". Franceinfo (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  40. "Ce que l'on sait de William M., 69 ans, soupçonné d'avoir tué au moins trois personnes devant un centre culturel kurde à Paris". Le Monde.fr (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  41. "Fusillade mortelle à Paris : une enquête ouverte pour assassinat, homicides volontaires et violences aggravées". l'Union (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  42. "Paris : ce que l'on sait de l'attaque dans le 10e arrondissement, qui a fait au moins trois morts". Franceinfo (in French). 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  43. "Fusillade à Paris : le suspect transféré en psychiatrie, sa garde à vue levée". ladepeche.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  44. Ataman, Xiaofei Xu, Niamh Kennedy, Joseph (23 December 2022). "Police fire teargas to quell protesters at the site of deadly Paris shooting". CNN. Retrieved 23 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  45. "Clashes in Paris after three people killed in shooting at Kurdish centre". the Guardian. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
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  48. "Ankara summons French envoy over 'propaganda' after the attack on Paris Kurds". France 24. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  49. Ertan, Nazlan. "Turkey urges France to ban PKK 'propaganda' after Paris shooting - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
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