PARIS | A shooting in the French city of Strasbourg killed two people and wounded at least eight others, officials said, sparking a major security operation around a world-famous Christmas market on Tuesday. Authorities said the shooter is still at large.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known. It wasn’t immediately clear if the market was the target of the attack or if there was any link to terrorism.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that the gunman has been identified, and had a police record for common crimes. Several of those wounded were in critical condition.
The French Interior Ministry asked the public to stay indoors.
“Our security and rescue services are mobilized,” Castaner said.
Local authorities tweeted for the public to “avoid the area of the police station,” which is near the city’s Christmas market. Strasbourg’s well-known market is set up around the city’s cathedral during the Christmas period and becomes a major gathering place.
Images from the scene show police officers, police vehicles and barricades surrounding the sparkling lights of the market.
The European Parliament, which is centered in Strasbourg, was on lockdown. Spokesman Jaume Duch said that “the European Parliament has been closed and no one can leave until further notice.” It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were inside.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that “my thoughts are with the victims of the shooting …. Strasbourg is like no other a city which is a symbol of peace and European democracy.”
France has been hit by several extremist attacks, including the 2015 Paris shootings, which killed 130 people and wounded hundreds, and a truck attack in Nice that killed dozens in 2016.