PARIS — An Islamic terrorist with an arsenal of loaded guns was prevented from opening fire on churchgoers only because he accidentally shot himself in the leg, French officials said Wednesday.
The 24-year-old computer science student was also suspected in the death of a young woman whose body was found Sunday before his arrest. He had been flagged as a risk for intent to travel to Syria, but there had been no specific reason to open a judicial investigation, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Wednesday.
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said the suspect — an Algerian who had lived in France for several years — was arrested in Paris on Sunday after he apparently shot himself by accident and called for an ambulance.
He was waiting outside his apartment building for first aid when police arrived. They followed a trail of blood to his car, which contained loaded guns and notes about potential targets. The suspect was treated for a leg wound and remained hospitalized Wednesday.
