Police investigate motives after shootings in Jordan, France and Britain

Shootings at a funeral in Jordan and on streets in France and Britain left several people dead and others wounded on October 22 and 23.

Jordan: Six killed as gunmen attack church funeral

Gunmen opened fire at a church funeral in Hamoud, a village in Jordan’s southern Karak governorate, on October 23. Six people were killed and 28 injured, according to a Public Security Directorate statement carried by Al-Mamlaka TV.

An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the attackers arrived by car, fired for about five minutes and fled. The witness estimated that 150 to 200 people were inside and outside the church.

Al-Mamlaka reported that the wounded were taken to hospital and more security personnel were sent to the church. Police said they were pursuing the attackers.

The broadcaster also cited an unnamed source as saying the attackers had a background in religious extremism. Police had not announced a motive or identified any group affiliation.

Prosecutors in Amman later imposed reporting restrictions on the case and its investigation, according to an order published by Al-Mamlaka. The order covers news outlets and social media but exempts official media supervised by the Ministry of Government Communication.

France: Girl, 12, among those wounded near Paris

A gunman fired at pedestrians from a car in Trappes and La Verrière, outside Paris, at about 10:30 a.m. local time on October 23. One person was killed and four were seriously wounded. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the shootings took place at three locations in the two towns, the Associated Press reported.

A 12-year-old girl who was shot several times was in serious but stable condition, La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville told AFP. AFP, citing a source familiar with the case, said a 39-year-old man had been arrested in nearby Coignières.

Asked by BFMTV about a possible racist motive, Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the person killed was of African origin and one of those critically wounded was of North African origin.

France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has opened a terrorism-related murder investigation. Prosecutors are examining whether victims were attacked because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.

London: Police seek suspect after street shooting

A man suffered life-threatening injuries in a shooting on Frances Street in Woolwich, southeast London, near the Royal Artillery Barracks, on the evening of October 22.

Officers gave first aid; armed police and specialist detectives also responded. No arrests had been made, according to a Metropolitan Police statement reported by The Guardian. Police were searching for a suspect. They had not disclosed a motive or said whether the victim was targeted.