Paris shooting: Policeman shot dead, two others wounded by gunman on Champs Elysees

A gunman shoots a police officer dead and wounds two others before being killed himself in an attack in the Champs Elysees shopping district, Paris police say.

A gunman has shot a police officer dead and wounded two others before being killed himself in an attack in the Champs Elysees shopping district, Paris police say.

Key points:

• Police targeted in attack but motive still unknown, French authorities say
• Attacker’s identity yet to be established, police say
• Interior Ministry says a “weapon of war” was used against police

Paris police spokeswoman Johanna Primevert said the attacker targeted police guarding the area near the Franklin D Roosevelt metro stop on Thursday night (local time) at the centre of the avenue, which is popular with tourists.

One witness was walking on the pavement nearby when the gunman appeared.

Media player: “Space” to play, “M” to mute, “left” and “right” to seek.

Video: Eyewitness to Paris shooting describes hiding in shop (ABC News)

“There was a bus full of police. The man parked just in front of the bus and then he got out a Kalashnikov and then he shot six times,” the witness said.

“I thought it was fireworks. Then he hid behind a truck.”

French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said police officers were targeted in the shooting, but it was too early to say what the motive was.

Mr Brandet said a second policeman had not died of his wounds, as had been earlier reported.

But he said apart from the policeman killed on the spot by the attacker, two police officers had been seriously wounded.

Source: Paris shooting: Policeman shot dead, two others wounded by gunman on Champs Elysees, police say – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)