Eight people were injured yesterday in a shooting at a high school in the small southern town of Grasse, the French Ministry of the Interior said, and a 17-year old student carrying a rifle, handguns and grenades was arrested, police sources added.
“The individual does not seem to be known by police,” one source said.
A second source said it appeared that two students had opened fire on the headmaster, who had been injured, adding that the suspects did not seem to be militants.
Another police source it was not yet possible to confirm if there was a second shooter.
Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told BFM TV that eight people had been injured, and advised families to remain patient as police took control to stabilize the situation.
An student at the school interviewed by France Inter radio said the students had heard a bang and taken cover under the tables.
“I went to close the windows and saw a guy who looked at me in the eyes. He seemed to be a student and not very big. He shot in the air and ran away,” the student said without giving his name.
Local emergency services advised residents via Twitter to stay at home.
The government launched its mobile telephone application warning of a “terrorist” attack.
Meanwhile, a letter bomb exploded at the IMF’s offices in Paris and left at least one person “lightly wounded,” police said.
A spokesman for the Paris police said the episode occurred about 11:30am when the victim, who has not been identified, opened an envelope at the fund’s offices, which are in the west of the capital.
In a post on Twitter, the police prefecture said there was a continuing operation after an injury to one person caused by “a suspicious package” that appeared to contain a “firework” of some sort.
The incident comes with France in a state of emergency after several militants attacks over the last year — and less than six weeks from a presidential election in which security and fears of terrorism are among key issues.
Additional reporting by NY Times News Service
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