Three people were killed and several others injured in a gunman's attack in Paris

A gunman has killed three people and wounded three others in central Paris.

The attacker targeted a Kurdish cultural center and shot and killed members of the local community. A possible racist motive is being investigated.

One of the suspects, aged 69, was quickly arrested and it soon emerged that he had recently been released from prison.

Authorities have urged people to avoid the Strasbourg-Saint-Denis area in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.

The Kurdish Democratic Council of France (CDF-K), which runs the affected center, condemned the attack in a brief statement. He also said that a vigil will be held on Friday night to pay tribute to the memory of the victims.

There is no confirmed motive for the shooting, but Paris prosecutor Laure Bacau said the suspect had previously been charged with racist violence.

The incident - in which he attacked a tent in a migrant camp in Paris with a sword - took place in Bercy on December 8, 2021. It is unclear why he was released recently

Le Monde newspaper quoted center spokesman Ajit Polat as saying that French authorities had "once again" failed to protect Kurdish people in Paris.

After the attack, the police clashed with a large group that had gathered at the spot.

Footage showed people setting fires in the middle of the street and throwing chairs and other objects, as police in riot gear responded by firing tear gas.

Local mayor Alexandra Cordebard said the suspect was also wounded in the shooting and three places were on fire: a Kurdish community center, a restaurant, and a hair salon. Two people were shot in the saloon.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the killing was carried out by a "right-wing activist". He added: "The Kurds will be able to live in peace and security wherever they are. More than ever, Paris stands by them in these dark times."

"We were walking down the street and we heard gunshots," Ali Dalek, a witness, told the BBC. “We turned around and saw people running left and right.

"And then, five or six minutes later, because we know people who work in hair salons, we went in and saw that they had arrested a man - an old, old, tall man."

Another witness, a businessman, told AFP he locked himself in.

He said he heard seven-eight shots. Two of those injured in the shooting are said to be in critical condition and two others are said to be seriously injured.

The police allegedly detained the suspect without resistance and recovered the weapon used in the attack. Prosecutors said they had opened a homicide investigation.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the "courage" of police and said the capital's Kurdish community had been "the target of a heinous attack".

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin visited the scene and spoke to reporters. He added that it was still unclear what the shooter's motive was and there were no known links to "far-right" groups.

The attack comes nearly 10 years after the January 2013 killing of three Kurdish female activists in Paris, including a co-founder of the militant nationalist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The streets near the Château d'Eau metro station have several restaurants and shops as well as cultural centers. Ms. Cordbard said it was a very vibrant area.

Authorities have closed Rue d'-Nguyen, the street where the shooting took place, while an investigation is underway.