Officials: Attacker Snatched Assault Gun From Soldier, Aiming To Shoot People
PARIS (AP) — Yelling that he wanted to kill and die for Allah, a suspected Islamic extremist attacked a French soldier Saturday morning at Paris' Orly Airport and wrested away her assault rifle
That's according to a French prosecutor who says two colleagues on her patrol shot and killed the man before he could fire the military-grade weapon in the busy airport terminal.
The suspect is identified as French-born Ziyed Ben Belgacem.
The attack further rattled France, which remains under a state of emergency after attacks over the past two years that have killed 235 people.
Stopped first by police in Paris' northern suburbs early Saturday morning for driving too fast and without lights, authorities say the suspect opened fire with a revolver loaded with bird shot, injuring an officer in the face,
He then fled by car to a bar and again opened fire. No one was injured.
Finally, in another car stolen at gunpoint, he parked at Orly. The Paris prosecutor says a few minutes later, he hurled himself at three soldiers on patrol in its South Terminal, throwing a bag with a gas can at the floor and wielding his 9 mm revolver.