A suspect in the Paris killings of three Kurdish citizens told Paris police that he hated foreigners.
After shooting two people and killing a woman in a Kurdish cultural center and nearby Kurdish café, the 69-year-old man was taken into custody.
These killings shocked a community that was preparing for the 10th anniversary of the unsolved murders of three activists. Protests erupted, leading to clashes between police and protestors.
Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor for the case, stated that the suspect claimed that a 2016 burglary had triggered a hatred of foreigners which became completely pathological.
According to the prosecution, the man claimed that he was depressed and had suicidal tendencies. He also recounted his plans to take his own life with one last bullet.
She said that the search of his parent’s home did not uncover any evidence linking him to extremist ideology. He had initially sought victims in a French suburb but gave up after finding very few.
Representatives of Kurdish communities have asked for Friday’s shootings to be considered terrorist attacks.
After his Saturday medical questioning, the suspect was placed in a psychiatric facility on Sunday.
She added that the lives of three others who were also injured by the shooting were in good hands.
According to the prosecutor, the suspect was released from custody in recent months while waiting for trial on charges of a sabre attack against a Parisian migrant camp last year.
