According to French media, the alleged attacker who stabbed and injured six people at Paris’s Gare du Nord rail station on Wednesday was a Libyan national in his twenties who was scheduled to be deported.
He went on a violent, unprovoked stabbing spree at Paris’ Gare du Nord train station on Wednesday, hurting six people and generating a momentary panic at one of Europe’s busiest train terminals before being shot and detained by police.
The perpetrator, who attacked his victims with a metal hook, was not immediately identified by investigators, and the motive for his assault was unclear, according to French police. However, none of the injuries were considered to be life-threatening.
The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, informed reporters at the station that amid the bustling commuter rush, an “extremely threatening individual” attacked several bystanders in front of the station before heading inside. She hailed the bravery of two off-duty policemen who intervened to stop the attack.
The suspected Libyan was shot three times and was brought to the hospital in critical condition.
According to reports, the assault was quick, random, and highly brutal, and the Libyan stabbed his first victim at least 20 times with a metal hook that had been sharpened and wrapped with string to enable a stronger grip.
The motivation is still being investigated by police, although it is not thought to be terror-related.