Evangeline Cabiles
A suspect opened fire at a Greek Orthodox priest in the city of Lyon, severely injuring him.
The suspect, holding a rifle shot, fired two shots at close range into the chest of priest Nikolaos Kakavelaki when he closed the church in the city of Lyon, east of France, on the afternoon of October 31.
French soldiers near the scene of the shooting in Lyon on the afternoon of October 31 Photo: AFP
The witnesses heard gunshots, then saw a man flee and find the priest injured in the back of the church.
The suspect was arrested a few hours later.
The motive for the shooting has not been determined.
The shooting took place as France was witnessing many knife attacks carried out by extremists.
A knife stabbing happened near a church in Nice city on the afternoon of October 29, killing three people, of which at least one was cut off.
The wave of protests against France and President Emmanuel Macron has also recently spread after he angered many Muslim nations for his support of publishing the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed, a taboo against Islam.
