Eerie Quiet In France's Bloodied 'Christmas Capital'

Around two million people converge on the postcard-perfect island at the heart of Strasbourg every year for the Christmas market. On Wednesday morning, it was shut and grimly quiet after a shooting spree left three dead.

Strasbourg, France, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Dec, 2018 ) :Around two million people converge on the postcard-perfect island at the heart of Strasbourg every year for the Christmas market. On Wednesday morning, it was shut and grimly quiet after a shooting spree left three dead.

"There was a knot in my stomach when I went to work this morning. We don't know how this is going to go," said Cathia, a delivery woman who lives just south of the city.

She was at the market when the attack began Tuesday night, sending thousands of people running for safety and prompting a security lockdown of the city known as the "capital of Christmas." Hundreds hid in bars and restaurants and were finally able to leave under police escort at around 2:00 am (0100 GMT), but the city remained on edge as hundreds of police sought the gunman, a 29-year-old Strasbourg native.

Flags were lowered to half-staff as theatre performances and other shows were cancelled, though schools remained open for parents unable to keep their children at home.

The annual market has become a veritable fortress since 2015, when France suffered jihadist terror strikes that left scores dead and marked the beginning of a wave of attacks.

Access to the island formed by the River Ill is tightly controlled via the nearly 20 bridges connecting it to the rest of the city.