According to information from Monde, a man committed suicide inside the Quatre Temps, the main shopping center in the La Défense district, in the Hauts-de-Seine, on Saturday February 18, causing a major crowd movement. The man threw himself from the top of a floor of the store, and his fall caused a huge noise, perceived by customers as a gunshot and causing a panic reaction.
Information confirmed by Agence France-Presse, which specifies that a lifting of doubt was still in progress around 6 p.m.
The prefecture also announced on Twitterat 5.30 p.m., that a police operation was underway in the western Parisian business district, recommending” avoid[r] the area “. “The police are on site and securing the scene”soberly reported the prefecture, without giving more details.
#Puteaux La Défense #LaDéfense | The police are on site and securing the scene. ???? Avoid the area. https://t.co/9hr03aAhuk
“A police operation is taking place in La Défense. I asked the prefect of police to go there.added the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, still on Twitter.
RER line A traffic was interrupted between Nanterre–Préfecture and Charles de Gaulle-Etoile “following security measures”, according to the line’s Twitter account. Train traffic was to resume « vers 18 h 30 ».
On social networks, several videos of people present on the spot showed scenes of panic in the shopping center and nearby.