France lifts detention of terror suspect for psychiatric observation

French authorities have lifted the detention of a 39-year-old man suspected of Friday’s shootings in La Verrière and Trappes, outside Paris, after a psychiatric examination, SVT reports. He will undergo further observation before authorities decide the next step in the case.

The man is suspected of shooting several people in the two towns. A 26-year-old man was killed and five others were injured, including a 12-year-old girl. The case is being investigated as a suspected terrorist attack. The motive has not been established.

France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office, PNAT, told Le Monde that the man was examined on Saturday evening. His detention was lifted on Sunday morning so he could continue to be observed, a process that may last up to 48 hours.

The observation is intended to assess whether the man’s psychiatric condition is compatible with further questioning, PNAT said, according to Le Monde. On Friday evening, President Emmanuel Macron called the incident a “racist terrorist crime.”