Mass Shooting in France, Terrorism Suspected

UPDATE: At least 3 people were killed by a gunman on Tuesday near Strasbourg’s Christmas Market in Strasbourg, France.

December 11, 2018 A shooting in France on Tuesday killed at least two people and injured several others.

The shooting took place near the busy Strasbourg’s Christmas market in Strasbourg, about 300 miles east of Paris. Law enforcement officials say the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack. NBC News reports that a shooter has been identified as someone on a terrorist watchlist. France’s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed the suspect is also known for petty crime.

France has been on high alert since several terrorist attacks in 2015. Increased security measures, including bag checks and an  unauthorized vehicle ban were in place at the Strasbourg market when Tuesday’s shooting took place.

Following a series of attacks on Paris in November, 2015, one of the suspects, later identified as Omar Ismail Mostefai was known to French police as a petty criminal who had become radicalized. The Paris attacks highlighted gaps in information sharing between the United States and its trusted allies. None of the members of the Islamic State or ISIS believed to be responsible for simultaneous attacks across Paris were on the U.S. no fly lists. In January, 2015, three gunmen stormed the Paris office of the controversial magazine, Charlie Hebdo and opened fire, killing at least twelve and injuring 11 others. French officials said the gunmen had ties to Al-Qaeda in Yemen.