The gunman who is suspected of killing three Kurdish people in Paris on Friday has told investigators that he felt a “hatred of foreigners that had become completely pathological” since the burglary of his home in 2016.
The retired French 69-year-old train driver has been named by media as “William K” but no picture of him has been published and neither has the incident been labelled “terrorism.”
He appeared in front of a judge earlier today and a judicial investigation has been opened for “assassination and attempted assassination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nation or religion,” as well as for “unauthorised acquisition and possession of weapons,” added the prosecution.
William K has described himself as “depressive” and “suicidal” and told investigators: “But before I killed myself, I always wanted to murder migrants, foreigners” since this burglary.
Early on Friday morning, he went armed to Saint-Denis “to commit murders on foreign people,” continued the prosecutor. But because of a lack of people in the area he gave up his project.
After returning to his parents’ Parisian home, where he lived, he walked to rue d’Enghien (10th arrondissement) to the Kurdish cultural center Ahmet-Kaya. He then opened fire with a handgun, killing two men, as well as the head of the Kurdish Women’s Movement in France, Emine Kara.
Three other men were injured. Five of the six victims are of Turkish nationality, the last of French nationality.
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William K said he “attacked victims he did not know,” specifying that he was angry “with all the migrants” and “with the Kurds for having taken prisoners during their fight against Daesh instead of killing them.”
His intention was “to use all the ammunition and kill himself with the last bullet,” according to the prosecutor. As soon as he was arrested, the suspect said he acted because he was “racist.”
Placed in police custody on Friday shortly after the events, he was taken to the psychiatric infirmary of the police headquarters on Saturday for health reasons.
Previously the alleged shooter was jailed for racist violence with a weapon, having stabbed migrants in a Paris camp on December 8, 2021.
He was placed in pre-trial detention for one year – the maximum period provided for by law for this type of offence and was released on December 12.
The shootings have led to several days of riots by local Kurds and violent clashes with police.
