France: Two seriously wounded after man opens fire in supermarket

Two people have been seriously injured in a shooting in a supermarket in the French town of Port-Marly (Yvelines) near Paris on Monday (26 September) amid heightened tensions in the country.

France, which is still reeling from terror attacks in the capital Paris and other cities in the past 12 months, has tightened its security.

On Monday at 12:30 local time (11:30 GMT), a man opened fire with a shotgun in a supermarket in the Paris suburb, seriously wounding two.

The first victim, a 46-year-old cashier who was taking a break outside the store, was hit in the back. The second victim, a man aged 73, was injured by a shot in the abdomen. Both have been taken to hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.

The attacker, who has been described as a retired man who moved to Port-Marly a year ago, left the scene before he returned to his house, also located in Port-Marly, according to local reports.

At the time of writing, an elite police unit had entered negotiations with the man in his sixties, who was still hiding in his home. At this point, sources close to the investigation quoted by France TV said the shooting was not connected to terrorism.

While the gunman is unknown to France's intelligence services, he was, however, related to cases of assault. Liberation newspaper confirmed the man has been described as having had an aggressive behaviour in the past, including during visits to the Super U supermarket.

The judicial police of Versailles has opened an investigation.