PARIS (Reuters) – A suspect arrested in the murder of three Kurds in Paris told investigators about his “hatred of foreigners,” the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday.
A 69-year-old man was arrested Friday after shooting dead two men and a woman at the Kurdish cultural center and a nearby Kurdish cafe in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
The killing spooked communities preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of the unsolved killings of the three activists and prompted protests that led to clashes with police.
During questioning, the suspect said the 2016 home robbery sparked a “completely morbid hatred of foreigners.”
Prosecutors said the man described himself as depressed and suicidal and intended to kill himself with the last bullet after the attack.
A search of the suspect’s parents’ house found no evidence of links to extremist ideology, she said. Neighbor.
Kurdish representatives called for Friday’s shooting to be considered a terrorist attack.
Prosecutors said the suspect remained in the psychiatric department on Sunday after questioning was stopped on Saturday for health reasons.
Of the other three people injured in the shooting, two are still in hospital but their injuries are not life-threatening, she added.
Prosecutors had previously said the suspect was recently released from custody while awaiting trial for a saber attack on a migrant camp in Paris a year ago.
Reporting by Gus Trompiz Editing by David Goodman
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