Gunman opens fire at Liberation newspaper office in Paris

One man has been seriously injured after a gunman has opened fire inside a Paris office building housing the left-wing newspaper, Liberation.

The victim was a photographer’s assistant, aged 27, Liberation said.

On Friday a man armed with what appeared to be a gun broke into the Paris offices of the rolling news channel BFMTV. He did not fire any shots and no-one was injured.

It is not clear whether there is any connection between the two incidents.

On its website, Liberation said the man entered the premises shortly before 10:15, armed with a hunting rifle. He fired two shots, wounding the photographer’s assistant before escaping.

The gunman did not say anything, Liberation reported. He is described as aged about 40 and wearing a cap.

Police have now been stationed outside the offices of all major media organizations in Paris.

Liberation’s deputy editor Fabrice Tassel said the victim – who was shot in the chest – was fighting for his life.

Police have sealed off the area around Liberation‘s offices. Interior Minister Manuel Valls has arrived at the scene.

Liberation said three spent cartridges of buckshot had been found, along with traces of buckshot in the ceiling.

“In a democracy, when someone enters a newspaper office with a gun, this is very, very serious, whatever the person’s mental state,” said Liberation‘s publisher Nicolas Demorand.

Nicolas Demorand said he would hold a news conference at 4 p.m.

In the next few hours, investigators will compare CCTV images from the two attacks to see if there are any similarities, BFMTV said.

A journalist from Liberation told BFMTV that the two security guards at the entrance immediately ducked down behind their desks when the man drew his weapon and did not see him clearly.