THERE. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO STAY
AWAY FROM THIS CENTRAL SHOPPING DISTRICT OF PARIS.
LET'S GO TO OUR LONDON BUREAU. KEIR SIMMONS IS FOLLOWING
DEVELOPMENTS FOR US.
WHAT DO WE KNOW? >> Reporter: AS THE PRESIDENT
TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING TERRORISM, THE SCENES IN PARIS
WILL BE FAMILIAR TO MANY PEOPLE. WE DON'T YET KNOW THE MOTIVE OF
THE ATTACK IN THE WORLD FAMOUS CHAMPS-ELYSEES.
AN SALIENT OPENED FIRE ON TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND THEY, THE
POLICE, FIRED BACK. ONE OFFICER WAS KILLED AND THE
OTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE SHOOTING.
LESTER, REUTERS REPORTING THAT AT LEAST TWO ATTACKERS WERE
INVOLVED IN THIS PARIS SHOOTING, ONE OF THEM KILLED.
WHAT REUTERS HASN'T SAID AT THIS STAGE IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO
THE OTHER ALLEGED ASSAILANT, WHETHER THAT PERSON IS STILL ON
THE LOOSE. BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, FRENCH
POLICE ARE URGING PEOPLE TO STAY SAFE.
OUR PRODUCER WHO SPOKE TO FRENCH POLICE TOLD TO STAY INSIDE, TO
STAY SAFE. REUTERS REPORTING ONE WITNESS
SAYING THAT A MAN GOT OUT OF A CAR AND FIRED ON POLICE WITH A
KALASHNIKOV SO THAT PAINTS A WORRYING PICTURE OF A CITY THAT
HAS SEEN ATTACKS BEFORE IN A CONTINENT THAT HAS SEEN MANY
ATTACKS IN RECENT YEARS AND JUST DAYS AWAY FROM THE ELECTIONS IN
FRANCE ON SUNDAY, LESTER. >> THE FIRST ROUND OF BALLOTING
THIS SUNDAY, HAS THAT RESULTED IN A STEPUP OF SECURITY ON THE
STREETS ALREADY IN PARIS AHEAD OF WHATEVER HAPPENED HERE?
>> THE FRENCH ARE ALREADY ON HIGH ALERT AFTER THE LIST OF
ATTACKS THAT WE'VE NOW SEEN IN FRANCE, AND NOTABLY, OF COURSE,
THAT ATTACK BACK IN 2015 IN WHICH 130 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.
SO THEY ARE READY FOR THIS, THEY HAVE ALSO SEEN A NUMBER OF, IF
YOU LIKE, MORE MINOR ATTACKS HAPPEN JUST IN RECENT WEEKS.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE WAS THE NICE ATTACK IN WHICH A VEHICLE
WAS USED TO KILL MANY PEOPLE. AGAIN, LESTER, AT THIS STAGE WE
DO NOT KNOW THE MOTIVE FOR THIS. WHETHER THIS WAS A CRIMINAL ACT
OR WHETHER THERE ARE TERRORIST INTENTIONS BEHIND WHAT'S
HAPPENED HERE, BUT ACCORDING TO OUR OWN REPORTING AND WHAT IS
BEING REPORTED BY REUTERS, IT DOES SEEM AS IF THE POLICE HAVE
BEEN INTENTIONALLY TARGETED AND HAVE FIRED BACK, LESTER.
>> AND WE RECALL THAT MA SHETY ATTACK AT THE LOUVRE SO A CITY
THAT'S BEEN ON EDGE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS IN RECENT TERROR ISSUES
AND AS YOU NOTED AHEAD OF THE FIRST ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL
BALLOTING COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
AS WE LOOK AT LIVE PICTURES FROM THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES, DO WE KNOW
WHATEVER HAPPENED HAPPENED ON THAT STREET OR IN THAT SHOPPING
NEIGHBORHOOD, KEIR? >> Reporter: IT DOES APPEAR TO
HAVE HAPPENED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE VERY LEAST.
YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST OF THAT WORLD FAMOUS SHOPPING STREET IS
CLOSED OFF, AND OF COURSE WE SHOULD MENTION THAT THERE ARE --
THERE WILL HAVE BEEN MANY PEOPLE FROM OVERSEAS THERE.
PARIS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
IT IS A PLACE THAT IS PARTICULARLY BEAUTIFUL IN THE
EVENING, AND IT IS EVENING NOW IN THE FRENCH CAPITAL.
SO THERE WILL POTENTIALLY HAVE BEEN MANY TOURISTS ON THE
STREET. WHETHER THIS IS AN ATTACK THAT
SPECIFICALLY TARGETED THE POLICE, IT DOES APPEAR,
ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS, THAT THAT IS THE CASE AND THEREFORE,
CIVILIANS WILL NOT HAVE BEEN IN DANGER BUT THERE WILL BE MANY
FRIGHTENED FRENCH NATIONALS AND PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE PICTURES THAT WE HAVE SEEN ARE THE FRENCH
POLICE CLEARING THAT AREA, MAKING IT SAFE BECAUSE OF
COURSE, LESTER, RIGHT NOW FRENCH POLICE WILL BE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT FOR THEMSELVES EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE AND CRUCIALLY
AND PERHAPS THEY KNOW THIS ALREADY, BUT CRUCIALLY ONE
QUESTION APPEARS STILL OPEN AT THIS HOUR AND THAT IS IF THERE
WERE, AS THE FRENCH POLICE