A French man suspected of killing three Kurds in a Paris shooting has confessed to a "pathological" hatred for foreigners, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday, according to the AFP news agency.
The 69-year-old man was due to appear before a judge on Monday, prosecutors said. The suspect spent nearly a day in a psychiatric facility before being returned to police custody on Sunday afternoon, the AFP report said.
Beccuau said in a statement that the suspect was "depressive" and "suicidal" and said he "wanted to kill foreigners" after a burglary in his home in 2016.
The shooting at a Kurdish cultural center and a nearby hairdressing salon on Friday sparked panic in the city's bustling 10th district, home to numerous shops and restaurants and a large Kurdish population.
Three others were wounded in the attack but none are in a life-threatening condition, with one now out of hospital, the prosecutor said on Sunday.
The suspect said he initially wanted to kill people in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, which has a large immigrant population.
On Friday night, French riot police used teargas against a surging crowd who were trying to gain access to the crime scene. The angry protesters were throwing projectiles at police and overturning garbage cans and restaurant tables. At least one car was vandalized.
The riots resumed on Saturday. Cars were overturned, at least one vehicle was burned, shop windows were damaged and small fires were set alight near Republic Square, a traditional venue for demonstrations where Kurds earlier held a peaceful protest.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the shooting attack and said, "The Kurds of France have been the target of a heinous attack in the heart of Paris. Our thoughts are with the victims, the people who are struggling to live, their families and loved ones."
The suspect, named as William M. by French media, is a gun enthusiast with a history of weapons offenses who had been released on bail earlier this month, according to AFP.
The retired train driver was convicted for armed violence in 2016 by a court in Seine-Saint-Denis, but appealed.
A year later he was convicted for illegally possessing a firearm.