Suspect in Paris shooting admits to having 'extreme hatred of foreigners'

PARIS: A 69-year-old French man who is suspected of shooting three people dead in Paris has confessed to having an extreme hatred of foreigners, Anadolu Agency reported, quoting local media outlets on Sunday.

The man was transferred to a police psychiatric unit for evaluation on Saturday but later discharged and retaken into custody, reports said.

He will be brought before an investigating judge on Monday.

The suspect, William M., said on Friday that he went to Seine-Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of the capital where mostly immigrants live, to kill foreigners but decided to go to the 10th district instead.

The retired train driver, who is reportedly a gun enthusiast with a history of weapons offences, opened fire Friday at a cultural centre and nearby hairdressing salon, killing at least three people and wounding three others, according to local media reports.

On Saturday, a doctor who examined the man concluded that his health was not compatible with the conditions of detention and he was transferred to a police psychiatric unit.

Reports said that police records indicate that the man had attempted murder twice in 2016 and 2021 and attacked a migrant centre in Paris with a sword in December 2021, wounding two people, and had been jailed and released from prison earlier this month.

Local media outlets said the suspect's only regret is not being able to commit suicide, as he was understood to be "depressive" and "suicidal."

-- BERNAMA