French soldier shoots attacker at the Louvre
PARIS — Paris was plunged into panic — again — when soldiers guarding the Louvre museum shot an attacker who lunged at them with two machetes yesterday and shouted “Allahu Akbar!” and the historic landmark went into lockdown.
The threat appeared to quickly recede after the assailant was subdued, but it cast a new shadow over the city just as tourism was beginning to rebound after a string of deadly attacks. Coming just hours before Paris finalized its bid for the 2024 Olympics, it also renewed questions about security in the City of Light.
The soldiers’ quick action put an end to what French President Francois Hollande said was “no doubt” a terrorist attack.
French prosecutor Francois Molins said the assailant was believed to be a 29-year-old Egyptian who had been living in the United Arab Emirates, though his identity has not yet been formally confirmed. Molins said the attacker, who was shot four times, was in serious condition in a hospital.
Molins said the attacker was not carrying any identity papers, but investigators used his cellphone and a national database of visa applicants containing their photos and fingerprints to determine that he was a resident of the United Arab Emirates who arrived in Paris on a tourist visa on Jan. 26.
Two days later the suspect bought two military machetes at a gun store in Paris, the prosecutor said. He also paid 1,700 euros for a one-week stay at an apartment in the chic 8th arrondissement of the French capital, near the Champs-Elysees.
In the apartment, police found an Egyptian passport and 965 euros, as well as a residence permit, driver’s license and a credit card all issued from the UAE, Molins said. He said the suspect’s return flight to Dubai was scheduled for Sunday.
Waving two machetes over his head, the assailant lunged at the soldiers patrolling in the mall, shouting “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is great!” Molins said.
One soldier fought him off and was slightly injured in the scalp. Another soldier fell to the ground as the assailant tried to slash him, then opened fire, shooting the attacker in the stomach. When that didn’t stop him, the soldier fired three more times, gravely wounding him.
The 1,200 people inside the Louvre — one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions — were first shuttled into windowless rooms as part of a special security protocol before being evacuated. The museum in central Paris remained closed for the rest of Friday, but it will reopen today, Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay said.