Man Attacks Tourists Near Paris' Eiffel Tower, One Dead And Two Injured

In 2016, the suspect received a four-year prison sentence for plotting a separate attack and was under surveillance by French security services.

A 26-year-old French national, attacked tourists near the Eiffel Tower in central Paris, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to two others. Police swiftly apprehended the suspect using a Taser stun gun. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that the assailant, previously sentenced to four years in prison for plotting another attack, had been under surveillance by French security services. Additionally, the individual was known to have psychiatric disorders.

"We will not give in to terrorism," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the attack.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the family of the German individual killed in a "terrorist attack." French anti-terror prosecutors announced they would assume responsibility for the investigation.

The assailant fatally stabbed a German tourist born in 1999 with a knife and proceeded to use a hammer to assault others while attempting to flee across the River Seine. The vicinity near the Bir Hakeim bridge, typically bustling with tourists and locals, was sealed off by police, illuminated by the flashing lights of security forces and emergency services,  as reported by AFP.

The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the arrest of a French-born attacker, born in 1997, in connection with a murder and attempted murder inquiry.

Interior Minister Darmanin revealed the assailant's prior sentencing in 2016 to four years in prison for plotting an unrealized attack.

"The assailant targeted a foreign tourist couple. Tragically, a German tourist born in the Philippines succumbed to the stabbing," Darmanin stated.

A vigilant taxi driver intervened during the incident, Darmanin said. Subsequently, the attacker moved across the Seine, wielding a hammer and injuring another individual.

After a pursuit, law enforcement utilised a Taser to subdue and arrest the assailant.

"His threats were extremely violent... he must now face the consequences in court," Darmanin said.

Residing with his parents in the Esonnne region south of Paris, the suspect expressed to police his distress over the loss of Muslim lives in "Afghanistan and Palestine," according to the minister.