//Two were killed and up to a dozen injured in a shooting in the vicinity of the Christmas Market in the historic French city of Strasbourg Tuesday evening.
A “major public safety event” was underway Tuesday evening, according to the French ministry of the interior, after shots were fired in Strasbourg, the French city which serves as one of the two homes of the European Parliament. The ministry instructed local residents to stay in their homes.
Following an earlier report from French media which stated the attacker had been injured by Operation Sentinelle soldiers, Le Figaro now reports the 29-year-old male has been surrounded by police, having proceeded on foot. The individual is understood to be known to police and is the subject of an ‘S’ file — French police slang for an individual who has been under investigation for radicalisation in the past.
Another update from Agence France Press who report the investigation has now been taken over by the Paris counter-terrorism police. The wire service also reports police sources who state the attacker was wounded by French army soldiers deployed as part of operation Sentinelle before fleeing.
Several staff members of the European Parliament in the city have also taken to Twitter to describe the scene, with press officer Emmanuel Foulon reporting to have heard “the sound of shots”, and to have been told by security that the shooter is still at large.
Greek member of the European Parliament Eva Kaili meanwhile wrote: “European Parliament has activated emergency protocol. We are currently in lockdown to safeguard people here.”//