Machete-wielding ‘terrorist’ attacker storms Paris museum

Soliders at the Louvre were forced to fire at the suspect

A man brandished a machete and targeted security guards at the Louvre museum in an attempted attack that the French prime minister is calling “terrorist in nature.”

Paris Police Chief Michel Cadot tells CNN that the would-be knife attacker approached soldiers and guards in an underground area of the famous museum called the Carrousel du Louvre. He reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar,” which means “God is greatest” in Arabic.

One of the shoulders fired at the suspect, hitting him in the abdomen. The suspect survived and was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries and is reportedly in critical condition. Another person who was reportedly acting suspiciously was detained, but The Telegraph reports that authorities believe the machete attacker was acting alone. He was reportedly carrying two backpacks but no explosives were found in either.

The suspect is believed to be 29 years old, from Egypt, and had arrived in France very recently, within the last month.

Two of the soldiers at the museum suffered minor injuries. The thwarted attack came just hours before Paris was scheduled to present a bid to host the 2024 Olympics.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.