Paris train station attack leaves at least 6 people injured

LONDON and PARIS — A man who injured at least six people in an attack at Gare du Nord station in Paris early Wednesday morning was shot by police and hospitalized, authorities said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter that “an individual injured several people this morning at Gare du Nord. He was neutralized quickly. Thanks to the police for their effective and courageous response.”

French police secure the area after a knife-wielding man injured several people at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, France, January 11, 2023.

Benoit Tessier/Reuters

The suspected gunman is alive and hospitalized, authorities said. The six injured people were also taken to hospital, Darmanin told a news conference at the station, where he was surrounded by armed police officers. One officer was injured during the attack, he said.

The attack began around 6:42 a.m. local time, with police responding within a minute, Darmanin said. The suspect, who did not appear to say anything before the attack, was shot three times by police, the minister told reporters.

“The suspect suddenly began, for no apparent reason at this stage, to hit the first victim with his weapon,” the Paris public prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The first victim was hit 20 times, he said.

The victims included two men, aged 36 and 41, and three women, aged 40, 47 and 53, who were using the station, the office said. A 46-year-old policeman assigned to the border police at Gare du Nord was also injured. The 36-year-old remains hospitalized, prosecutors said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin (C) speaks to the press next to new Transport Minister Clement Beaune (L), Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (4th L) and Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nunez (2nd L) at the Gare train station du Nord of Paris on January 11, 2023.

Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

Prosecutors said they are investigating all possible leads. Investigators have not yet ruled out terrorism as a motive, they said. The weapon, which was seized, was a metal hook, according to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.

“I confirm that an investigation has been opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement obtained by ABC News. “The investigations have been entrusted to the judicial police. The provisional assessment is 6 people injured, including one in an absolute emergency. The suspect was hospitalized after being shot several times by the police.”

The suspect is believed to be a man in his 20s born in Libya or Algeria, the prosecutor’s office said.

A police car parks outside the Gare du Nord train station, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Paris, France.

Michel Euler/AP

Paris Gare du Nord is one of the largest and busiest train stations in Europe. It serves the northern suburbs of Paris and is a terminus on the Channel Tunnel route from London to Paris.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.