Four stabbed to death at Paris police headquarters

Saturday, October 5, 2019 

On Thursday at the headquarters of the Paris Police Prefecture in Paris, France, an IT worker went on a stabbing spree, killing four. A fifth person was hospitalized in critical condition. The attacker was shot dead by police. Three of the victims were male police officers and the fourth was a female office worker.

Officials said the three officers were stabbed with a kitchen knife in their offices. The woman was killed in a stairwell. The attacker, a man, reached the courtyard before he was shot in the head by another police officer. Local prosecutor Remy Heitz said the suspect's wife was taken into custody.

Officials said the man was 45 years old and born in the French territory of Martinique. He lived in Gonesse, a suburb of Paris. He was employed with the police since 2003 and was hearing impaired. According to Agence France-Presse, which cited sources close to the investigation, the man had converted to Islam a year-and-a-half ago.

The police headquarters, which is situated on an island in the river Seine, was blocked off after the attack. Cité station, part of the Paris Métro, was temporarily closed.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, wrote on Twitter: "Paris is mourning its family this afternoon after this appalling attack on the [Police Prefecture]. The toll is heavy, several police lost their lives. In my name and that of the Parisians, my first thoughts go to the families of the victims and their relatives." ^{((fr))French language: ‍Paris pleure les siens cet après-midi après cette effroyable attaque survenue à la @prefpolice. Le bilan est lourd, plusieurs policiers ont perdu la vie. En mon nom et celui des Parisiens, mes premières pensées vont aux familles des victimes et à leurs proches.}

Sources

• "Knife-wielding IT worker kills four at Paris police HQ" — Agence France-Presse, October 3, 2019
• Saskya Vandoorne and Antoine Crouin. "Four killed in knife attack at Paris police headquarters" — CNN, October 3, 2019
• Anne Hidalgo. "@Anne_Hidalgo" — Twitter, October 3, 2019 (French)