The custody of William M., 69, suspected of having perpetrated an attack on Friday in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, was lifted this Saturday evening, announced the Paris prosecutor’s office in a press release. The man was released from prison on December 12 and is suspected of having killed three Kurds and injured three others. The racist motive was retained by the investigation, specifies the parquet floor. “The doctor who examined the respondent this day at the end of the afternoon declared that the state of health of the person concerned was not compatible with the measure of police custody, can we read. The accused was taken to the psychiatric infirmary of the police headquarters. »
Investigations now focus on acts of assassination, attempted assassination, violence with a weapon and violations of the legislation on weapons of a racist nature. “The addition of this circumstance does not modify the maximum penalty incurred, which remains life imprisonment,” said the prosecution.
The facts occurred Friday at the beginning of the afternoon in the center of Paris. The alleged shooter opened fire in the Kurdish cultural center located rue d’Enghien, as well as in a nearby hair salon. He would then have been subdued by customers of the salon, before being arrested by the police. Wounded in the face, he was hospitalized in relative emergency. He announced that he acted “because he was racist”.
“There is no doubt for us that these are political assassinations”.
Next to him, during his arrest, was discovered “a briefcase” containing “two or three loaded magazines, a box of 45 caliber cartridges with at least 25 cartridges inside”, indicated a source close to the file to the AFP. The weapon used is a US Army “1911 Colt 45” “worn in appearance”.
The track of a terrorist attack has been ruled out at this stage of the investigations, arousing the incomprehension and anger of the CDK-F. “The fact that our associations are targeted is of a terrorist and political nature”, declared Agit Polat after his meeting with the prefect of police. “There is no doubt for us that these are political assassinations”.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Friday afternoon that the suspect had “obviously wanted to attack foreigners”, while remaining cautious about his motives. A few hours after the tragedy, the Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, said that there was “no element which would favor the need” for a referral to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).
Incidents on the sidelines of a demonstration
Several hundred people gathered this Saturday at midday, Place de la République, in memory of the three victims of the attack on rue d’Enghien. Smoke bombs were thrown and incidents were deplored during the demonstration.
A little earlier in the morning, representatives of the Kurdish community had been received by the Paris police chief, Laurent Nuñez. “There is no doubt for us that these are political assassinations. The fact that our associations are targeted is of a terrorist and political nature,” said Agit Polat, spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDKF) after the meeting.
He also regretted a “lack of security” at the scene of the shootings, whose security is “under the responsibility of the French authorities”. Representatives of the Kurdish community will also be received on Saturday afternoon by the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, confirms his entourage to Parisian.