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2018 Strasbourg attack

Coordinates: 48°34′54″N 7°45′03″E / 48.58167°N 7.75083°E / 48.58167; 7.75083
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2018 Strasbourg shooting
Christkindelsmärik entrance in 2014
Strasbourg is located in France
Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (France)
LocationStrasbourg, France
Coordinates48°34′54″N 7°45′03″E / 48.58167°N 7.75083°E / 48.58167; 7.75083
Date
11 December 2018, 19:50[1]
Attack type
Shooting
Deaths3
Injured13 (8 severely)[2]

On 11 December 2018, at 19:50, a suspected terrorist attack occurred in Strasbourg, France, when a man opened fire with a submachine gun at the Christkindelsmärik. By 7:00 the next day, three people had died, while 13 were wounded, eight severely.[2] The shooter, identified by police as an Islamic extremist, remains at large.

Background

The Christkindelsmärik is the Winter fair in Strasbourg, held annually on the square in front of the Strasbourg Cathedral since 1570.[4][5] In 2000, the Strasbourg Cathedral bombing plot was foiled by the French and German police: the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat had planned to detonate pressure cookers rigged as homemade bombs in the crowd of the winter fair. Since then, the market has been under reinforced security, [6] and subject of several suspected or actual attack attempts.[7] In 2016, when several people were arrested in Marseille and Strasbourg for preparing a terrorist attack, cancelling the Christmas market was considered, although it was eventually maintained.[8]

Incident

In the morning of 11 December 2018, the police raided the home of the suspect in Neudorf; he was not home, but the police found grenades in his apartment.[5][9] [10]

The incident started at around 19:50 local time (18:50 GMT),[1] near Place Kléber, where Christkindelsmärik, a Christmas market, was being held.[10] The shooter entered the scene through Pont du Corbeau, went through Rue des Orfèvres and escaped in direct of Neudorf and Place de l'Étoile [11], opening fire in three different locations; elements of Opération Sentinelle engaged him twice, and he was wounded in the exchange of fire. [12][13] A Thai tourist was hit in the head in front of a restaurant and died in spite of first aid provided by patrons.[5]

The incident forced the closure of locations around the city including the European Parliament building.[14] Police used Twitter to relay information to the public.[14] The shooter remains at large,[10] with 350 men of the security forces (RAID, BRI and Sentinelle) chasing him, supported by air units.[2][11]

The French government raised their security threat level to the highest possible as the search for the gunman continued.[15] 5000 people were stranded in a sports facility used as temporary shelter, and the European Parliament was put on lockdown.[5] Its President, Antonio Tajani, tweeted that "[the European Parliament] will not be intimidated by terrorist or criminal attacks (...) [and will] continue to work and react strengthened by freedom and democracy against terrorist violence."[16]

Suspect

The suspect, a 29-year-old Strasbourg-born man,[17][10] was known to the security services and regarded as an Islamic extremist, having been tagged with a fiche "S" ("State Security" file), the highest warning level for French state security.[15][18][12]

The suspect has reportedly been named by police as Chérif Chekatt.[3][19]

An investigation has been started for "murder and attempted murder in relation to a criminal enterprise".[5]

Reactions

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel reacted the same day on Twitter, expressing condolences;[20] Juncker called Strasbourg "a city of symbol of European peace and democracy" [21] and Bettel, a "symbol of European values".[22] Theresa May offerered her "thoughts are with all of those affected and with the French people".[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ministère de l'Intérieur. "Attaque aux abords du marché de Noël de Strasbourg". http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attaque-aux-abords-du-marche-de-Noel-de-Strasbourg. Retrieved 12 December 2018. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Point de situation n°4 à 03h30, Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (in French) http://www.bas-rhin.gouv.fr/Actualites/Securite/Securite-publique/Point-de-situation-n-4-a-03h30. Retrieved 2018-12-11. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ a b "At least two dead, 11 wounded in Strasbourg shooting". RTE.ie. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  4. ^ Un attentat déjoué après l’arrestation de 7 personnes à Strasbourg et Marseille, L'Humanité, 21 November 2016
  5. ^ a b c d e f Strasbourg Christmas market shooting: suspect on the run after three killed, The Guardian
  6. ^ Fusillade sur le Marché de Noël de Strasbourg: deux morts et treize blessés, le tireur "identifié" en fuite, L'Express
  7. ^ Strasbourg : la place Kléber évacuée après une alerte à la bombe, l'auteur interpellé, France Bleue, 2017
  8. ^ Un attentat envisagé « de longue date » déjoué en France, Le Monde, 21 November 2016
  9. ^ "Gunman kills at least four people in French Christmas market". Reuters. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d "Strasbourg gunman hunted after two killed". 11 December 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^ a b Fusillade à Strasbourg, en direct : trois morts, la France en « urgence attentat », Le Monde
  12. ^ a b Willsher, Kim (11 December 2018). "Strasbourg shooting: at least two killed in terrorist attack near Christmas market" – via www.theguardian.com.
  13. ^ "Fusillade à Strasbourg, en direct : trois morts, la France en « urgence attentat »". Le Monde.fr. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  14. ^ a b Zwirz, Elizabeth (2018-12-11). "France 'terror' shooting leaves 4 dead, multiple injured with gunman on the run: officials". Fox News. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  15. ^ a b Samuel, Henry; Chazan, David; Ward, Victoria (11 December 2018). "Strasbourg shooting: At least four dead, several seriously injured in attack at Christmas market - latest news" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  16. ^ Tajani, Antonio (11 December 2018). "I express all my sorrow for the victims of the Strasbourg attacks. This Parliament will not be intimidated by terrorist or criminal attacks. Let us move on. We will continue to work and react strengthened by freedom and democracy against terrorist violence". Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Fusillade à Strasbourg : ce que l'on sait du tireur du marché de Noël". L'Obs (in French). Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  18. ^ "Strasbourg Christmas market shooting: Gunman injures multiple people". www.news.com.au.
  19. ^ "L'identikit del killer di Strasburgo schedato come radicalizzato". Lettera43 (in Italian). 11 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  20. ^ L'essentiel. "Juncker et Bettel réagissent sur Twitter". L'essentiel. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  21. ^ Juncker, Jean-Claude (11 December 2018). "Mes pensées sont avec les victimes de la fusillade de Strasbourg que je condamne avec grande fermeté. Strasbourg est par excellence une ville symbole de la paix & de la démocratie européennes. Des valeurs que nous défendrons toujours. La Commission se tient aux côtés de la France". Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  22. ^ Bettel, Xavier (11 December 2018). "Toutes nos pensées ce soir sont avec les victimes de la fusillade de Strasbourg et avec leurs proches. Je suis choqué, je condamne cet acte et je confirme notre solidarité et notre amitié avec la France et avec Strasbourg, ville qui est symbole des valeurs européennes". Retrieved 12 December 2018.
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