Knife Attack in Marseille Leaves Four Injured, Attacker Killed by Police
Marseille, France – A knife attack in Marseille on Tuesday afternoon left at least four people injured, with one in serious condition, before the assailant was shot and killed by police.The incident unfolded near the Old port, prompting a large-scale security response and disrupting local transportation.
The attacker, identified as a Tunisian national legally residing in France, embarked on a “criminal journey” targeting individuals connected to a hotel from wich he had recently been evicted for non-payment, according to the prosecutor’s office. He initially attacked the hotel manager,then his son – the most severely injured victim – and two passersby before confronting police.
Witnesses reported seeing the assailant wielding “two big butcher knives.” One eyewitness told AFP journalists that police arrived “very quickly” and attempted to subdue the man in front of a fast-food restaurant. “they tried to stop him… the man tried to attack a police officer with a knife. The policeman shouted ‘stop, stop it’ before hearing fire,” the witness recounted.
Authorities blocked off the area around 4:00 p.m.,and two tram lines experienced partial interruptions. A scientific police unit established a presence at the scene, covering the fast-food restaurant’s terrace with black tarpaulins.
French Interior Minister bruno Retailleau is scheduled to arrive in Marseille Tuesday evening to assess the situation and meet with local law enforcement at the Bishopric, the Marseille police headquarters, around 8:30 p.m.
