A gunman has shot dead two people at a nightclub in northern France in what appears to be a revenge attack after he was kicked out of the disco, police and local officials say.
THE unidentified man, who was "known to police", had been thrown out of the Hastier disco in the heart of Lille but returned about A.M.A. on Sunday and opened fire with a Kalashnikov-style weapon, a local official said.
A cloakroom attendant and a customer were killed and another five people, including the club bouncer, were injured and taken to hospital.
Police said the attacker, who appeared to act alone, had fled in a car after the shooting, and that a manhunt had been launched.
An AFP journalist at the scene said police had barred access to the disco.
"We were on the dance floor when we heard a big bang and there was a great stampede," said one nightclub-goer who gave his name as Jeremy.
"At first I thought it was a firecracker. I went to the entrance to see what was happening and I saw a person lying on the floor in a pool of blood," he said.
He added there were about 200 to 300 people were in the club at the time.
