French authorities say a 26-year-old suspect was arrested after a car was deliberately driven into people near the Normandy city’s train station.
Two men were killed and at least nine other people were injured after a driver deliberately drove into pedestrians near the train station in Caen, northern France, authorities said Thursday.
The incident occurred late Wednesday near a bus shelter outside the station. Officials said the driver was arrested after fleeing to Ouistreham, a port city about 20 kilometers away.
Authorities identified the suspect as a 26-year-old man born in Russia who is legally resident in France. They said he was not known to intelligence services and had no criminal convictions, though one report said he had previous traffic offenses.
Investigators are examining whether the attack followed an earlier confrontation. A police source said the suspect had been involved in a fight, left the area and returned by car; prosecutors said he told investigators that he had been assaulted near the station before the incident. Those accounts remain under investigation.
The two people who died were believed to be Afghan nationals, according to the Caen prosecutor. The injured, all men ages 17 to 36, included seven people reported in critical condition. Several suffered lower-leg fractures, authorities said.
Prosecutors opened an investigation into murder and intentional violence with a weapon. Authorities said the case was not being treated as terrorism, and no motive has been publicly established.
