A man who injured three people Saturday morning in a stabbing spree in Paris’ Gare de Lyon train station may have mental health issues, police said.
“This individual appears to suffer from psychiatric troubles,” Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez said of the unnamed 31-year-old suspect, who was carrying residency papers from Italy and medications that suggested he was undergoing treatment.
The man — whose nationality was not given — also had a knife and a hammer on him when he wounded three people in the train station.
“There are no elements that lead us to think that this could be a terrorist act,” Nunez added of the attack, which took place around 7:35 a.m. local time.
One victim was injured seriously enough to require surgery, while the other two suffered minor wounds, police said.
A fourth person was in shock, which could also count as an injury, Nunez explained.
Passersby in the crowded train station helped police detain the suspect at the scene.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the investigation is mulling over a potential preliminary charge of attempted murder.
The attack comes just six months before Paris is set to host the 2024 Olympic Games, which are scheduled for July 26 through Aug. 11.
Nunez is spearheading the massive security operation around the games, which will host 10,500 athletes and millions of visitors.
The French capital is no stranger to security concerns, particularly in the wake of a string of terror attacks in 2015 that killed 147 people total.
More recently, a suspect targeted passersby at the Eiffel Tower, killing a German-Filipino tourist with a knife and injuring two others.
With Post wires