Police fired their weapons after the man displayed a firearm, later determined to be a replica.
Parisian authorities reported that police shot and critically injured a man at Austerlitz train station on Monday. The man had been caught spray-painting swastikas before brandishing what appeared to be a gun at responding officers. A bystander was also injured.
According to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, police responded to reports of vandalism. When confronted, the man drew a weapon from his jacket, prompting officers to fire multiple shots, striking him in the abdomen. Video surveillance supported this account.
The suspect, a 49-year-old Syrian national, was hospitalized in critical condition and subsequently declared brain dead, according to Le Parisien. Limited details about the suspect have been released.
Un agent de la sûreté tir sur un homme avec une arme factice à Austerlitz, (perso je n’ai pas vue de croix gammé)
— T.P (@PTayLoz)
A ricocheting bullet injured a taxi driver in the foot; his injuries are considered stable.
🔴 Deux blessés par balles gare d’Austerlitz à Paris : des agents de la sûreté ferroviaire ont ouvert le feu sur un homme armé qui venait de taguer une croix gammée.
— Le20h-France Télévisions (@le20hfrancetele)
The weapon was later identified as a fake, a fact unknown to officers at the time of the shooting. Two investigations are underway: one focusing on the officers’ actions, and the other examining the suspect’s conduct.
🚨 ALERTE INFO – L’individu qui a été blessé par balles par la sûreté ferroviaire alors qu’il taguait des croix gammées dans la Gare d’Austerlitz est en ÉTAT DE MORT CÉRÉBRALE. L’individu était équipé d’une arme factice. (BFMTV)
— Focus (@FocusFR_)
Austerlitz station was temporarily closed, and train service disrupted, following the incident while police and counter-terrorism officials secured the area.
France remains under a high terrorism alert. National antiterrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen reported in December that over 600 suspected terror plot investigations were launched in 2024—double the 2023 figure—resulting in the prevention of nine planned attacks.
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