PARIS — A man wielding a knife killed two people and seriously injured at least one more Thursday morning in the Paris suburb of Trappes.
The attacker — who was known to police and convicted in 2016 for “advocacy of terrorism” — was shot dead by police forces, French authorities confirmed.
The terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement via its Amaq news agency, saying the attacker was an “Islamic State fighter.”
Although several media outlets reported the 36-year-old man was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar,” a terror link has not been established.
The victims are the attacker’s sister and mother, and police are investigating a family dispute as a potential motive.
“It appears the criminal had severe psychological issues,” Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said in a statement, confirming that police shot the attacker when he advanced on police forces holding a knife after exiting his mother’s house.
Trappes, a low-income suburb 30 kilometers west of Paris, was listed in February among 30 neighborhoods to receive additional funding and police forces as part of a government scheme to counter high-crime areas.
[# Trappes] Opération de police achevée
Le RAID n’a pas été engagé. Individu neutralisé et décédé.
Bilan humain s’agissant des victimes : 2 personnes décédées, 1 blessé grave. @Prefet78 remercie les fonctionnaires de @PoliceNat78 pour leur sang-froid et leur professionnalisme— Préfet des Yvelines (@Prefet78) August 23, 2018