A knife attack at Gare du Nord train station in Paris leaves six injured before the suspect is shot dead by police

Paris – A knife attacker injured six people in an unprovoked attack at the busy Gare du Nord train station in Paris on Wednesday morning before being shot dead by police, the French interior minister said, praising the police’s swift action, which he said helped to prevent deaths. The stabber attacked several people, including a police officer, with a “bladed weapon” during the morning rush hour around 6:43 a.m., Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene, flanked by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Darmanin said the unnamed attacker is currently “between life and death” in a hospital. French media reported that he was shot in the chest.

Darmanin thanked the police “for their effective and courageous response.”

“Without the extremely rapid response, there would certainly be fatalities,” he said, explaining how the knifeman was neutralized within a minute of attacking his first victim.

“At 6:42 a.m. the first crimes were described. At 6:43 a.m., the police used their administrative weapon after his violent run,” he said.

According to official information, several passengers and a border police officer were among the injured. The officer was stabbed in the back by the attacker but was saved by a bulletproof vest, Darmanin said. According to French media, five of the victims suffered minor injuries, while one suffered a serious shoulder blade injury and was taken for emergency treatment.

Video from the Gare du Nord, one of the French capital’s busiest commuter train stations, showed an eerie calm as dozens of police officers crowded near the entrance to the Eurostar terminal in areas cordoned off to the public.

Authorities have not suggested any specific motive, including terrorism, at this time. France remains on edge after a spate of deadly attacks since 2015.

The uproar also caused serious disruption to train services at the station – Europe’s busiest railway artery, with connections to Belgium, Britain and Italy – during the morning rush hour, according to national railway company SNCF.