The gunman who opened fire at the Kurdish cultural center in Paris had a history of ‘racist’ attacks

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A 69-year-old white French gunman who opened fire on a Kurdish cultural center in Paris, killing three people, told investigators he was a racist, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Key Points: The shooter had used an older model US Army pistol in the attack The 69-year-old shooter had a history of racially motivated violence and weapons offenses

The shootings at the center and at a nearby hair salon shortly before noon on Friday caused panic in the French capital’s bustling 10th arrondissement, which is home to several shops and restaurants and a large Kurdish population.

Three other people were injured in the attack which the shooter attributed to his “racist” character, the source said.

He was found with a briefcase loaded with a box of at least 25 rounds and “two or three loaded magazines”, the source added.

The weapon was a “heavily used” US Army 1911 Colt pistol.

On Saturday morning, the Paris prosecutor’s office extended the shooter’s custody by 24 hours and issued an additional charge for “racist motive”.

He is already being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, armed violence and violating gun laws.

The shooter, who has a history of racist violence, first targeted the Kurdish cultural center, before entering a hair salon where he was arrested.

Of the three injured, one was in intensive care in hospital and two were being treated for serious injuries.

According to the Kurdish Democratic Council in France, the dead included a woman and two men.

A history of violence

The shooter named William Min in French media is a firearms enthusiast with a history of weapons offenses who was released on bail earlier this month.

The retired train driver was convicted of gun violence in 2016 by a court in the multicultural Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of Paris, but appealed.

A year later, he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Last year he was charged with racist abuse after he allegedly stabbed migrants and slashed their tents with a sword in a park in eastern Paris.

“He’s crazy, he’s an idiot,” his father reportedly said on the M6 ​​television channel.

Often described as the largest stateless people in the world, the Kurds are a Muslim ethnic group spread across Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.

AFP

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