2022 Paris shooting

William Mallet
Born	(1953-03-30) March 30, 1953 Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
Occupation	Retired SNCF train operator
Known for	Perpetrator of the 2022 Paris Kurdish shootings

On 23 December 2022, a mass shooting struck three Kurdish locations within Paris's 10th arrondissement. The attack near a Kurdish cultural center on Rue d'Enghien resulted in three fatalities and three injuries.

Authorities have categorized the incident as an act of right-wing terrorism. The accused, 69-year-old William Mallet, confessed to harboring racist intentions and openly declared his animosity toward the Kurds.

Background

This event took place against the backdrop of escalating right-wing violence in France. It also evokes memories of the January 2013 triple killing of Kurdish activists, which occurred nearly ten years earlier.

Shooting

The shooting unfolded just before noon on 23 December 2022, on Rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre. Armed with a Colt 45 handgun, the assailant fired three rounds at the cultural center, killing two individuals. Subsequently, he discharged three shots at a Kurdish restaurant across the street, causing one death, and then fired three rounds into a Kurdish hair salon, injuring three people.

Victims

The attack claimed the lives of three individuals: Emine Kara, leader of the Kurdish women's movement in France; a Kurdish singer-songwriter and political refugee; and an elderly frequent visitor to the cultural center. Additionally, three others sustained injuries, one critically. The perpetrator was also wounded in the face prior to his apprehension.

Suspect

The suspect, William Mallet, aged 69 (born 30 March 1953) from Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, was detained at the scene. Identification was swiftly established through an SNCF ID card discovered in his wallet. Upon arrest, he possessed a briefcase containing two or three loaded magazines along with a box of .45 caliber ammunition holding at least 25 rounds. Mallet, a retired SNCF train operator, resided in the 10th arrondissement.

During questioning, he revealed that his original plan was to target foreigners in Saint Denis, but he altered his objective to focus on the Kurdish community in the 10th arrondissement due to lower pedestrian presence.

Mallet’s criminal record includes stabbing an intruder in 2016, for which he received a twelve-month prison sentence in June 2021; possession of illegal weapons in 2017 resulting in a six-month sentence; and an assault on a migrant camp in Bercy in 2021 where he attacked with a sword, injuring three migrants and destroying six tents. He was under investigation for "racist violence with weapons." Throughout judicial proceedings, he made overtly racist statements and was released under judicial supervision on 12 December 2022. Despite these offenses, Mallet was never listed in FINIADA (the national database barring weapon ownership), nor had authorities conducted any searches of his residence.

An avid firearms enthusiast and sport shooter, Mallet claimed to have acquired the Colt .45 pistol used during the attack from an acquaintance met at a shooting club in Versailles. At arrest, he carried magazines loaded with fourteen rounds plus an additional twenty-five rounds. During police interrogations, he admitted that racism motivated his actions and expressed explicit hostility toward Kurds.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed that Mallet had no connections to "ultra-right" groups and was unknown to intelligence agencies or the Directorate General of Homeland Security. Darmanin stated that Mallet "clearly intended to target foreigners" and acted independently.

Investigation and legal proceedings

The criminal division of the DRPJ was tasked with probing allegations of assassination, deliberate homicide, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses. On 24 December, authorities released the suspect from custody and ordered a psychiatric assessment.

Aftermath

On 23 December, as Interior Minister Darmanin visited the location of the incident, confrontations erupted between law enforcement and Kurdish demonstrators, during which police deployed tear gas. Several hundred protesters gathered around the center and adjacent streets, engaging security personnel by hurling stones and trash bins, resulting in injuries to eleven officers. Additional violent demonstrations took place on 24 December. Kurdish community leaders criticized the investigation for concentrating exclusively on the French perpetrator and demanded consideration of potential involvement by the Turkish government. In reaction, French authorities announced round-the-clock protection for Kurdish cultural centers as well as Turkish diplomatic facilities.

In the wake of the attack, Turkey called on France to curb "anti-Turkish" activities linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador to convey its concerns regarding PKK "black propaganda" targeting Turkey.

See also

• Triple murder of Kurdish activists in Paris (January 2013)
• List of terrorist incidents in France

External links

• Video footage of Kurdish demonstrations in Paris