Knife Attack at Paris Train Station Leaves One Injured, Police Fire Shots
A man wielding a knife attacked a bus driver in Paris on Wednesday, leading to a police intervention where officers opened fire, striking the assailant. The incident occurred at the intersection of the 5th and 13th arrondissements, according to a police source.
Initial reports indicate that no one was injured by the attacker beyond the man himself. He sustained an abdominal wound and was transported to a hospital, where his life is reportedly in danger.
The altercation began with a dispute between the man and the bus driver, the cause of which remains unknown. The attacker then allegedly threatened the driver with a knife. The driver was able to close the bus doors, preventing the man from entering, and immediately alerted the police.
Police arrived on the scene and, as the man reportedly advanced towards them with the knife, an officer discharged their weapon, hitting him in the abdomen.
Around ten police vehicles were present at the scene by 5:30 PM local time, an AFP journalist reported. The area was cordoned off with police tape, and military personnel from Operation Sentinelle, along with police officers, prevented onlookers from approaching. Four fire trucks and an ambulance were also dispatched to the scene. A thermal blanket was visible near a bus shelter.
This incident comes after a series of similar attacks in the Paris Metro in late December. On two separate occasions on Line 3, individuals attacked passengers with knives and a hammer, resulting in minor injuries to three women in the first incident. A man was apprehended following the second attack.
On Friday, November 14, 2025, a similar incident unfolded at the Montparnasse train station in Paris. Police shot and wounded a knife-wielding man after he had threatened his wife and children before boarding a train. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, at least one shot was fired during the confrontation. The 44-year-old man, known for domestic violence, subsequently inflicted knife wounds on himself. A bystander was also shot in the foot during the incident and received medical treatment.
Authorities have stated that initial investigations into the Montparnasse station incident do not suggest a terrorist motive. The man had reportedly threatened his wife and children in a suburb of Paris before boarding a train bound for Montparnasse, where officers were waiting to intercept him. When confronted, he allegedly threatened to kill himself, prompting police to shoot him in the legs to neutralize the threat.
The incident at Montparnasse caused a temporary security perimeter to be established within the station, resulting in slight disruptions to train traffic. The French rail operator, SNCF, confirmed the disruption.
The November 14th incident occurred just one day after the 10th anniversary of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris carried out by the so-called Islamic State group in 2015, which resulted in 132 fatalities.
In a separate incident on Friday, November 14, 2025, Paris police shot and wounded a man with a knife at the Montparnasse station, according to a statement from the city prosecutor’s office. The man, a 44-year-old originally from Wallis and Futuna, was traveling on a train from Rennes to Paris.
