“It looks like another Terrorist Attack...” That’s what US President Donald Trump said last night after a gunman opened fire in Paris and killed a police officer. Paris has been fraught with terrorism for a couple of years now, ever since the rise of Islamic State extreme terrorist group ISIS to become the new al-Qaeda. They’ve targeted France a good few times, in addition to other European cities like St. Petersburg and London.
It’s getting old real fast.
Now, ISIS have claimed responsibility for last night’s attack. They love releasing statements that claim responsibility for recent terrorist attacks that have gotten everyone in a tizzy. They get a real kick out of it. It’s like they’re bragging, and let’s face it, they probably are. Trump also asked the rhetorical question, “What can you say?” and added, “It never ends.” This isn’t the kind of mentality we want from a world leader if we are to stand strong against terrorism, but Trump did say, “We have to be strong and be vigilant,” so that’s a bit better.
The statement claims the shooter was a Belgian ISIS militant fighter
The Paris attack that ISIS have taken the rap for was carried out by a Belgian ISIS fighter who killed one police officer and left two severely wounded in the attack. The shooting took place near the boulevard of Champs-Elysees (which is a busy shopping street so there were a lot of people around to be scared – the attack apparently took place in front of a Marks and Spencer, which they must be hoping won’t affect business – which is probably why the Belgian ISIS guy picked it) in France’s capital city of Paris. The dead officer was reportedly killed whist sitting in a car before the attacker was shot and killed shortly thereafter by the other cops on the scene.
Francois Hollande, the President of the French Republic, called the incident a “cowardly killing” of a police officer and had previously said he was convinced that it was a terrorist attack. Obviously now that ISIS has claimed responsibility, he’s been proven right. If it wasn’t a terrorist attack, it would’ve been quite embarrassing for him, but it was pretty clear that this was a terrorist attack from the beginning, so it’s all fine.
Legal authorities in Paris claim to have identified the suspected ISIS gunman. However, they will not reveal his name until they determine whether or not there were other people involved in the attack, as it could jeopardise the investigation. According to officials, the suspected assailant had already been flagged up by authorities as an Islamic extremist, but they didn’t do anything about him and now he’s gone and shot up a bunch of police officers.
Paris police are searching the suspect’s home
Paris police authorities (the ones that aren’t in hospital or in the morgue) are currently searching the slain assailant’s home, which is located in a suburb on the eastern side of Paris. You’ve got to watch out for these people living in the ‘burbs. They’re harbouring pretty dark sides sometimes. Some reports suggested that the shooting was to do with a robbery but police maintained that it was likely a “terrorist act,” and now ISIS are saying it was them, so that answers that question.
French legal people are saying that it’s too early in the investigation to make an assumption on why this ISIS attack took place. It’s generally under the blanket of their march on capitalist western civilisation, but it has to be more specific than that. Why Paris? Why now? Why M&S? We’ll just have to wait and see. The French interior ministry has opened up a counter-terrorism inquiry that will revolve around the attack.