How the Alleged Paris Terror Plot Was Thwarted
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KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images(PARIS) — Details are starting to emerge about a terror attack that was thwarted in Paris this weekend that involved an arsenal of weapons, a random shooting and a list of potential religious targets, officials say.
French officials first reported the plot Wednesday, days after the suspect was apprehended, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Who Is the Suspect?
The male suspect has been publicly identified as a 24-year-old computer science student. His name has not been released by authorities.
The individual was flagged as a flight risk last year because he had tried to travel to Syria, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said when the arrest was made public Wednesday.
How the Day Unfolded: His Alleged First Attack
Police believe that the suspect was involved in the murder of a woman he had never met.
The woman has been identified as Aurelie Chatelain, a 32-year-old French national who was in Paris for a work training session.
French media is reporting that a call was made to police Sunday morning that a car was on fire, with responders only discovering later that Chatelain’s body was inside.
Details about her death have not been released except that she was killed in her car.
How the Police Found Him: Sunday, April 19, 8:50 a.m.
The suspect directly contacted authorities at some point Sunday afternoon because he needed an ambulance after allegedly shooting himself accidentally, officials said.
When medics and police responded, they found a trail of blood leading to his car.
Inside the vehicle, investigators allegedly found guns and notes on potential targets.
An ensuing search of his apartment revealed more weapons and unspecified evidence linking him to religious extremism, officials said.
“Documents were also found and they prove, without any ambiguity, that the individual was preparing an imminent attack, in all probability, against one or two churches,” Cazeneuve said.
The specific names of the churches have not been released, though more details about the case are expected Wednesday.
What Happens Now?
French officials have placed Paris on its highest security alert since the Charlie Hebdo magazine murders and the attack on a kosher market in January.
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