Gunman shoots five people with machinegun, killing one and 'wounding 12-year-old girl' in France

A gunman has shot five people with a machine-gun, killing one and wounding a 12-year-old girl in a Paris suburb.  

A suspect was arrested near the town of Trappes. Police said the motive for the shooting, which happened at around 10.30am local time, remained unclear.

Le Parisien, a French newspaper, reported that the perpetrator fired a STEN-type sub-machine gun from the Second World War from a vehicle. 

Sebastien Lecornu, France's prime minister, said that four people had been injured and one had been killed. 

He added following the incident: 'All resources of the security forces and the judicial authority are fully mobilised. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office has announced that it is monitoring the situation.' 

Local officials said, according to Le Monde, that emergency services are responding but that the situation is 'not yet stable'. 

Nicolas Dainville, the mayor of neighbouring La Verrière, said the 12-year-old girl's condition is 'stable' and added that two men, aged 29 and 49, have been taken to two different hospitals. 

Ali Rabeh, the mayor of Trappes, said this morning in a Facebook post: 'I offer my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, as well as my full support to the other victims.

'I would like to commend the intervention of the law enforcement and emergency services. The city remains in close contact with the relevant authorities.

'An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of these events and the motives of the shooter. The city will set up a psychological support unit within the next few hours.' 

The shooting happened as France braces for another day of protests against the high cost of living on Saturday. 

Major museums are closing their doors and the government is deploying a significantly larger security presence to prevent a repeat of last week's violent unrest which shocked the country.

More to follow.