A Kurdish cultural center was attacked and members of the local community were shot.
Investigations are being conducted into a possible racist motive. The suspect, aged 69, was arrested quickly and was also released from prison recently.
In the aftermath of the attack, police clashed with a group gathered at the scene of the shooting.
CDF-K, the organization that runs the Strasbourg-Saint Denis center in the 10th district of Paris, condemned the attack in a brief statement. There will also be a vigil on Friday evening to honor the two men and woman who were killed.
A motive for the shooting has not been confirmed, but Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the suspect had previously been charged with racist violence. In that incident, he used a sword to attack tents at a migrant camp in Paris on 8 December 2021.
A video showing the tension that ensued shows protesters throwing firebombs in the middle of the street and smashing car windows. Officers clad in riot gear responded by throwing tear gas.
Mayor Alexandra Cordebard says the gunman was also wounded in the shooting and that three places were attacked: the Kurdish community center, a restaurant, and a hair salon. In the salon, two people were shot.
According to reports, police detained the suspect without resistance and recovered the weapon used in the attack. An investigation into murder has been opened by prosecutors.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, praised the police for their “courage” and said the capital’s Kurdish community was “the victim of a heinous attack”.
Several restaurants and shops, as well as the cultural center, are located on Rue d’Enghien, the street where the shootings took place. The area has been sealed off by the authorities as they investigate the scene of the crime.