An armed man went on rampage Friday in southern France, carjacking a vehicle, shooting at police and taking hostages in an hours-long standoff at a supermarket. He killed three people and wounded others before being shot to death when French police stormed the market, authorities said.
Among the seriously wounded was a French police officer who offered himself up in a hostage swap and gave police details about what was going on inside the supermarket.
President Emmanuel Macron said it appeared to be a terrorist attack, the first to hit France since he became leader in May.
The Islamic State group claimed that the attacker – a 26-year-old known to French police for petty crime and drug dealing – was one of its “soldiers.”
Special police units converged on the scene while authorities blocked roads and urged residents to stay away. Police were able to evacuate some shoppers at the supermarket.
Associated Press