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Inevitable threat? Strasbourg gunman was on terror watch list, had grenades at home Inevitable threat? Strasbourg gunman was on terror watch list, had grenades at home
(35 minutes later)
The gunman who shot multiple victims in Strasbourg had previously been convicted and was known to French intelligence as a possible ‘security risk,’ yet managed to slip through the cracks despite tightened security across France.The gunman who shot multiple victims in Strasbourg had previously been convicted and was known to French intelligence as a possible ‘security risk,’ yet managed to slip through the cracks despite tightened security across France.
“The author of these acts, listed as a security threat, had been sought by police,” the regional prefecture said in a statement, identifying the perpetrator as being on its notorious ‘Fiche S’. Yet he has reportedly managed to escape arrest earlier in the day, before carrying out the attack near the Christmas market at around 8pm on Tuesday evening. “The author of these acts, listed as a security threat, had been sought by police,” the regional prefecture said in a statement, identifying the perpetrator as being on its notorious ‘Fiche S’. Yet he has reportedly managed to escape arrest earlier in the day, before carrying out the attack near the Christmas market at around 8pm on Tuesday evening. 
“There are so many people that are involved around the edges of this sort of terrorism if this is what it turns out to be, that you can't keep any sort of meaningful surveillance on them. Even just monitoring the use of communications and social media would be too much,” Peter Kirkham, former London police inspector, told RT.“There are so many people that are involved around the edges of this sort of terrorism if this is what it turns out to be, that you can't keep any sort of meaningful surveillance on them. Even just monitoring the use of communications and social media would be too much,” Peter Kirkham, former London police inspector, told RT.
Despite tight security measures introduced by the French security forces across public holiday venues in the country, Christmas markets remain “attractive” soft targets. Strasbourg has since banned assemblies of people, to assist the security forces in tracking down their suspect.Despite tight security measures introduced by the French security forces across public holiday venues in the country, Christmas markets remain “attractive” soft targets. Strasbourg has since banned assemblies of people, to assist the security forces in tracking down their suspect.
The Strasbourg attack comes amid a major security presence across France, which has been gripped by the Yellow Vest protests over the past weeks. The sheer volume of work handled by the security services during the holiday season could have allowed the shooter to slip through the security cracks, Philip Ingram, a former senior military intelligence officer, told RT.The Strasbourg attack comes amid a major security presence across France, which has been gripped by the Yellow Vest protests over the past weeks. The sheer volume of work handled by the security services during the holiday season could have allowed the shooter to slip through the security cracks, Philip Ingram, a former senior military intelligence officer, told RT.
“The security forces have to be right 100 percent of the time and, remember, in France at the moment they are distracted with the Yellow Vest protests that are going on,” Ingram said.“The security forces have to be right 100 percent of the time and, remember, in France at the moment they are distracted with the Yellow Vest protests that are going on,” Ingram said.
“There has been a lot of unrest in France over the last few weeks, so it would be early to call it a terrorist incident,” Ingram noted, as the French counter-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.“There has been a lot of unrest in France over the last few weeks, so it would be early to call it a terrorist incident,” Ingram noted, as the French counter-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident.
As the manhunt continues, much of the city center remains on lockdown with authorities urging people to stay at home amid the developing “serious public security incident.” The European Parliament building is also sealed off with no one allowed to enter or exit the premises.
Early Wednesday morning, police posted a message on Twitter with instructions on how to proceed to evacuate the downtown area of Strasbourg. Those remaining in the center were urged to leave in a northward direction and to avoid heading out through the Neudorf district. The advisory did not explain why the special evacuation order was issued.
The search and response brigade, BRI, as well as the RAID, two French specialized intervention units, were at this time engaged in an active search for the shooter, aided by two helicopters deployed to track him down. The attack left three people dead and and at least a dozen wounded. The suspect, swiftly identified on surveillance and video recordings, was known for his criminal activities. Authorities believe their target is listed on the ‘Fiche S’ list of potential security threats, was born in February 1989 in Strasbourg and may have been radicalized only recently. He was to be arrested Tuesday morning in a homicide-robbery case, yet when the investigators arrived at his home, he was not there. Grenades were found during the search, according to French media.
The assailant entered the perimeter of the Christmas market via the Corbeau bridge, armed with an automatic weapon. After opening fire on the crowd he then fled the scene and, according to some reports, was wounded by a Sentinelle strike team during his escape. The shooter was later allegedly encircled in the district of Neudorf, where exchanges of fire reportedly were heard around 10pm local time, yet there was no official confirmation that the shooter had been cornered. Officials are treating the tragedy as a terrorist incident.
The attack left three people dead and and at least a dozen wounded, the Mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, told AFP early Wednesday. Previously the local prefecture had reported that two people had been killed in the shooting. Some of the victims were in a critical condition.
The suspect, swiftly identified on surveillance and video recordings, was known for his criminal activities. Authorities believe their target is listed on the ‘Fiche S’ list of potential security threats, was born in February 1989 in Strasbourg and may have been radicalized only recently. He was to be arrested Tuesday morning in a homicide-robbery case, yet when the investigators arrived at his home, he was not there. Grenades were found during the search, according to French media.
“If this person was recognized by the French secret service as a threat, he should have been put in jail right away,” Denis Franceskin, a representative of the French National Rally political party in the US, told RT. “This guy was totally free to go anywhere. And this is a big problem. We have thousands of people that are under the S-file in France and our government is doing nothing.”“If this person was recognized by the French secret service as a threat, he should have been put in jail right away,” Denis Franceskin, a representative of the French National Rally political party in the US, told RT. “This guy was totally free to go anywhere. And this is a big problem. We have thousands of people that are under the S-file in France and our government is doing nothing.”
“Certainly, there was a relationship to what the authorities were doing and the fact that he was on a list...and him going out and doing this,” defense analyst Ivan Eland told RT. “They thought he was involved in some sort of robbery last summer and they had raided his house when he wasn't there, and therefore this could have triggered him to do this.”“Certainly, there was a relationship to what the authorities were doing and the fact that he was on a list...and him going out and doing this,” defense analyst Ivan Eland told RT. “They thought he was involved in some sort of robbery last summer and they had raided his house when he wasn't there, and therefore this could have triggered him to do this.”
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