A French soldier shot a man wielding a large knife on Friday near the famous Louvre museum in Paris. The man allegedly shouted “God is great” in Arabic and attacked the soldiers.
According to The New York Times, the man was shot five times after rushing towards soldiers and guards in the Carousel du Louvre, an underground shopping plaza that is connected to the Louvre museum. USA Today reports that the man sustained serious wounds and was taken to a hospital in Paris for treatment.
Although the man was wearing two backpacks at the time of the attack, no explosives were found in his bags, reports CNN.
Tensions were already high in France before the attack due to several terrorist attacks in the last two years, such as the Paris attacks in November 2015 that killed more than 100 people. French President François Holland told the Associated Press that there is “no doubt” that the attack was of a “terrorist nature” and that he expects the perpetrator will be questioned “when it is possible to do so.”
President Trump posted a tweet after the attack urging the United States to “get smart.”
A new radical Islamic terrorist has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris. Tourists were locked down. France on edge again. GET SMART U.S.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2017
However, the Times reports that there was no information available to back up his claim about the attacker at the time of his post.
One Twitter user was quick to point out a difference between Trump’s response to the Louvre attack and the attack that killed six in Quebec earlier this week.
I find it instructive to compare Trump’s tweet on the thwarted Louvre attack to his tweet on the Quebec terror attack that killed 6 people: pic.twitter.com/U2wzUS6UVr
— Nicole Hemmer (@pastpunditry) February 3, 2017
Those inside the Louvre were on lock down until it was safe and then later evacuated. The museum will stay closed for the rest of the day and is expected to reopen on Saturday.