French police detain family members of Paris attacker

The Champs-Elysees gunman who shot and killed a police officer just days before France’s presidential election was detained in February for threatening police but later freed.

Police identified the accused gunman, who was shot dead on Paris’ famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées Thursday, as Karim Cheurfi – a 39-year-old French citizen who lived on the outskirts of the city.

A statement by IS’s propaganda agency Amaq said the attacker was one of its “fighters”, identifying him as “Abu Yussef the Belgian”.

Appalled by attack on #Paris police officers.

United States president Donald Trump, speaking at a press conference in Washington, said the incident “looks like another terrorist attack” and sent his condolences to France. France has been in a state of emergency since 2015 in the wake of numerous terrorist attacks that have killed over 200 people in the past two years. “Will have a big effect on presidential election!” – came at the tail end of a tight, fragmented race, with at least four contenders running neck and neck.

The UK strongly condemns the appalling terrorist attack in Paris. Overnight, police searched his home in eastern Paris. A Belgian prosecutor said there was no indication the attacker was Belgian, reported France 24.

But Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the government had reviewed its extensive election security measures and was “fully mobilised” in the wake of the attack.

He served 14 years in prison for attempted murders, with two against police officers.

She criticised outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande as “notoriously feeble” and said France was “worn out by inaction”.

The Champs Elysees, busy with tourists and locals on a pleasant spring evening, became a scene of panic. Two other officers were injured. One shooter was killed, officials said, later adding that the shooter was known to security services.

“Donald Trump has made possible what was presented as completely impossible”, Le Pen said then.

But it looks like another terrorist attack.

The two top finishers on Sunday advance to a winner-takes-all presidential run-off on May 7.

Mr Molins did confirm a note found near Cheurfi’s body after he was shot by police had handwritten messages defending IS and the addresses of security sites.

Paris police spokeswoman Johanna Primevert told AP the gunman deliberately targeted police on guard near the Franklin Roosevelt subway station.