Man arrested in Paris after knife attack on three women
French police arrested a man in Paris on Monday after he attacked three women with kitchen knives near Place de Clichy. An off-duty officer detained the suspect. Two victims were gravely wounded but not in danger, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. Motive and identity remain unclear.
Key Takeaways
- A man wounded three women with two kitchen knives in northern Paris on Monday morning.
- Victims aged 19, 24 and 36 were taken to hospital; two were gravely hurt but not in life-threatening condition.
- An off-duty police officer apprehended the attacker, drawing praise from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
- Police could not yet verify the suspect’s identity; his statements were described as incoherent and the motive remains unknown.
The assault unfolded at about 11.30am local time (0930 GMT) in the Porte de Clichy area in the north of the French capital, according to officials. Police said the incident took place near Place de Clichy. All three victims were women, Nuñez told reporters.
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What happened in the Paris knife attack?
According to French authorities, the man used two kitchen knives to attack the three women. Nuñez said two of them were severely wounded. One was injured in the lower back and another in the abdomen. Their lives were not in danger, he added. All three were taken to hospital.
The ages of the women — 19, 24 and 36 — were confirmed by the interior minister. Reporting from The Guardian and other outlets aligned on those details and the northern Paris location.
How was the suspect stopped in Paris?
Nuñez said the perpetrator was apprehended by an off-duty police officer. “I pay tribute to him, it was a courageous act,” the minister said. The detention ended the immediate threat after the stabbing near Place de Clichy.
French police confirmed the man had been arrested following the attack. Officials highlighted the officer’s intervention while he was off duty.
Do police know the motive behind the Paris attack?
Not yet. Nuñez said the motive remains unknown. He also said police could not verify the attacker’s identity at the time of early briefings. The man’s declarations when arrested were “incoherent,” the minister said.
Nuñez advised against jumping to conclusions about why the women were targeted. Investigators were still working to establish who the suspect is and what drove the assault with the kitchen knives.
As of Monday’s official statements, no confirmed motive had been released. Authorities stressed that early speculation would not help the inquiry.
BlasterPost will update this story if French police or the interior ministry release verified information about the suspect’s identity, charges, or a confirmed motive for the Paris attack.