By AP
A man armed with a dagger and a hammer injured three people on Saturday at Lyon station in Paris, in a new security incident that tests the nerves of the host city of the Olympic Games less than six months away. its inauguration.
Police quickly arrested the attacker after the attack that occurred around 8:00 a.m., according to authorities.
The man had residence documents in Italy, which allowed him to travel freely within the European Union.
His nationality was not disclosed.
He also had medications indicating that he would be under treatment.
Gare de Lyon is one of the busiest train stations in Paris.
It is the nerve center for high-speed routes that link the capital with other cities, with the suburbs and other cities in the capital region.
Forensic police collect evidence after the attack at the Gare de Lyon station in Paris on the morning of February 3, 2024. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP via Getty Images
“This individual apparently suffers from psychiatric disorders,” said Laurent Nunez, the head of the Paris police, who is also in charge of the major security operation for the Olympic Games, to be held from July 26 to August 11.
Nunez stressed that the police investigation was in its initial stages, but added that
"there are no indications that lead us to believe that this could be a terrorist act."
The suspect attacked several people with a hammer and a knife, one of whom was injured more seriously than the other two.
A fourth person was “very shaken” and could be considered slightly injured, Nunez said.
The most seriously injured person was undergoing surgery, he added.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called the incident an “intolerable act” in a social media post in which he thanked those who arrested the attacker.
Paris has beefed up its security as it prepares to welcome 10,500 athletes and millions of visitors for the first Olympics in the French capital in a century.
The Olympic Games will begin with a massive outdoor ceremony along the Seine River on July 26, posing a major challenge to the security of a city that has suffered several terrorist attacks, the most recent in 2015.
In December, a man attacked several passers-by near the Eiffel Tower and killed a German tourist with a knife, as well as wounding two others.