A search was initiated for an individual who allegedly stabbed three women with a knife on a crowded metro route. The assaults reportedly took place at Arts-et-Métiers, République, and Opéra stations on the Paris metro on Friday afternoon between 4:15 pm and 4:45 pm, as per a police source cited by Le Parisien. The incidents occurred on Line 3, which connects Bagnolet in Seine-Saint-Denis to Levallois-Perret in Hauts-de-Seine.
Upon arrival, emergency responders provided medical care to the three women with minor injuries, including wounds to their backs and thighs, according to law enforcement. A witness at République station described, “The young lady sustained a thigh injury. There was substantial bleeding; the cut was quite deep.”
The suspect reportedly escaped on Line 8 but was later apprehended at his residence in Sarcelles, Val-d’Oise, as reported by Le Parisien. Authorities located him through his phone’s geolocation data and promptly identified him post the assaults.
The Paris prosecutor’s office stated, “Utilizing CCTV footage, the regional transport security services (SRT), managing an inquiry on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault with a weapon, recognized an individual born in 2000, with a history of police-recorded offenses, including property damage.”
As per a police source cited by Le Parisien, terrorism has been ruled out, and the attacks seem to be the actions of an individual grappling with mental health issues. Operations resumed to normalcy at Opéra and République stations two hours post the incidents, and Line 3 was back in service.