French man behind Paris shooting transferred to psychiatric unit
A French man suspected of killing three people in a "racist" attack at a Kurdish cultural centre in Paris has been transferred to a psychiatric unit, prosecutors said. Meanwhile there were several arrests on Saturday as police and demonstrators clashed following a tribute rally.
Issued on: Modified:
Prosecutors said the 69-year-old white suspect had been removed from custody for health reasons on Saturday and taken to a police psychiatric facility.
He has confessed to a "pathological" hatred for foreigners, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday.
Beccuau said in a statement that the suspect was "depressive" and "suicidal" and said he "wanted to kill foreigners" after a robbery in his home in 2016.
Shots fired at the Kurdish cultural centre and a nearby hairdressing salon on Friday sparked panic in the city's 10th district, home to a large Kurdish population.
According to the Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDK-F), the dead included one woman and two men.
Of the three wounded people, one was being given intensive care in hospital and two were treated for serious injuries.
The suspect told investigators on Saturday that the attack was attributable to his being "racist", a source close to the case said.
Probe continues
The Paris prosecutor said a doctor examined the suspect's health on Saturday afternoon and deemed it "not compatible with the measure of custody".
The man's custody was lifted and he was taken to a police psychiatric unit pending an appearance before an investigation judge as the probe continues, the prosecutor added.
Earlier on Saturday, the Paris prosecutor had extended the suspect's period of detention for 24 hours and gave an extra charge of acting with a "racist motive".
He was already being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, armed violence and violating weapons legislation.
Arrests, injuries
Meanwhile, thousands of Kurds gathered at Place de la Republique in central Paris on Saturday afternoon where they held a minute of silence for the three killed and those "who died for freedom".
Many in the Kurdish community have expressed anger at the French security services, saying they had done too little to prevent the shooting.
The attack has revived the trauma of three Kurdish women activists were killed in 2013 in the same area of Paris and the victims' families have long pointed the finger at Turkey for masterminding the deaths.
Despite the suspicions, there appears to be no evidence that Friday's shooting had political motives or was linked to Turkey.
However, frustration boiled over and furious demonstrators clashed with police in central Paris after the tribute rally.
Police fired tear gas after clashes erupted and the demonstrators threw projectiles at officers. AFP journalists at the scene said at least four cars were overturned and one burnt.
The capital's police chief Laurent Nunez told BFM television channel 31 officers and one protester were injured in the disturbances, while 11 people were arrested, "mainly for damage".
Over 1,000 people held a similar peaceful rally in the southern port city of Marseille but it ended in clashes with officers and at least two police cars were set on fire.
Turkey blames unrest on PKK
On Sunday, a top aide to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the street unrest in Paris on outlawed PKK militants.
"This is PKK in France," Erdogan's foreign policy adviser Ibrahim Kalin said, tweeting images of overturned and burning cars. "The same terrorist organisation you support in Syria."
Ankara launches regular military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- a designated terrorist group by the European Union and the United States -- and Kurdish groups it accuses of being allies in Syria and Iraq.
The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, at first seeking a Kurdish homeland and latterly in pursuit of greater political autonomy for Kurds.
(with wires)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning
Subscribe