ISIS Claims Responsibility For Paris Shooting That Left 1 Police Officer Dead, 2 Wounded
PARIS (CBSNewYork/AP) -- One French police officer was killed and two others seriously wounded in a shooting at the popular Champs-Élysées shopping district in Paris, CBS News reported.
Hours later, ISIS claimed responsibility, saying the shooter was one of its "fighters."
The gunman pulled up in car alongside a parked law enforcement van and opened fire with an automatic weapon, CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported.
The shooting happened near a Metro station not far from the Arc de Triomphe just before 9 p.m. Paris time, or 3 p.m. ET, Thursday.
"The guy he was shooting to police," one witness said. "Policemen came and started to shoot this guy, and immediately he was down."
DEVELOPING: One police officer killed, another wounded in Paris shooting https://t.co/Okz2bwUl4f pic.twitter.com/efKb3Mcobj
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French police confirmed the suspect, a 39-year-old from a Paris suburb who was previously flagged as an extremist, was killed.
Outgoing French President François Hollande said one bystander was also struck by gunfire. The victim was later identified a female tourist. Her condition is not known at this time.
It's believed the suspect acted alone, though his home is being searched and a full terror investigation is underway to be sure, Conybeare reported.
President Donald Trump met with the Italian Prime Minister at the White House on Thursday and offered his condolences.
"It's a terrible thing. It's a very, very terrible thing that's going on in the world today, but it looks like another terrorist attack. And what can you say? It just never ends," he said. "We have to be strong and we have to be vigilant, and I've been saying that for a long time."
Security in France is tight with the country's presidential election just three days away. Terrorism and immigration are two of the top issues dividing candidates and voters.
Closer to home, the NYPD and Nassau County Police Department tell CBS2 they are monitoring the situation and have stepped up patrols in certain areas as a precaution.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)