At least three people have been killed and a dozen more injured after a lone gunman opened fire near a Christmas market in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.
The BBC reports that the gunman is “known to security services”, and remains on the run after clashing twice with security forces following the shooting and evading a dragnet.
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The reason for the shooting remains unclear, however French officials have opened a counter-terrorism investigation into the incident.
More than 350 security personnel and two helicopters are being used to search for the suspect, identified as a “29-year-old, who was known to the intelligence services as a potential security risk”, according to Al Jazeera.
“The government has raised its security threat to the highest level and is bolstering border controls,” French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said. “We will also reinforce security at all Christmas markets to prevent copycat attacks.”
The shooting occurred at around 8pm local time near a Christmas market near one of Strasbourg’s central squares, known as Place Kleber.
CNBC reports that the shooting occurred despite heightened security around the Christmas market, which included “unauthorised vehicles excluded from surrounding streets during opening hours and checkpoints set up on bridges and access points to search pedestrians’ bags”.