Strasbourg shooting suspect at large after killing three
- 5 years ago
STRASBOURG, FRANCE — Police are still on the hunt for a gunman who killed at least three and injured over a dozen others in the French city of Strasbourg.
The BBC reports that according to Paris public prosecutor Remy Heitz, a man with a gun was seen in Strasbourg's city center around 8 p.m. on December 11.
The gunman walked through the Christmas market, open firing several times, and using a knife to wound and kill. Witnesses say he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he did so.
Four anti-terror Operation Sentinelle soldiers patrolling the area exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him in the arm.
The gunman managed to get into a taxi, which took him to the Neudorf district near the Franco-German border, where he lived.
He came across police after getting out of the taxi, resulting in another exchange of gunfire. But authorities eventually lost track of him, according to the New York Times.
The suspect has since been identified as 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, who had been convicted 27 times and was on a watchlist of potential terror threats.
Among those killed by Chekatt were a Thai tourist and a local resident, while an Italian journalist was among those seriously wounded.
The BBC reports that according to Paris public prosecutor Remy Heitz, a man with a gun was seen in Strasbourg's city center around 8 p.m. on December 11.
The gunman walked through the Christmas market, open firing several times, and using a knife to wound and kill. Witnesses say he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he did so.
Four anti-terror Operation Sentinelle soldiers patrolling the area exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him in the arm.
The gunman managed to get into a taxi, which took him to the Neudorf district near the Franco-German border, where he lived.
He came across police after getting out of the taxi, resulting in another exchange of gunfire. But authorities eventually lost track of him, according to the New York Times.
The suspect has since been identified as 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, who had been convicted 27 times and was on a watchlist of potential terror threats.
Among those killed by Chekatt were a Thai tourist and a local resident, while an Italian journalist was among those seriously wounded.