Louvre Knife Attack: Soldier Shoots Assailant Near Paris Museum

By Lindsay Isaac and Hilary McGann

PARIS (CNN) -- A soldier on duty near the Louvre museum in the French capital, Paris, opened fire on a man who attempted to attack him with a machete, officials said.

The man had rushed towards a group of soldiers and guards in the Carrousel du Louvre, the underground plaza near the museum, according to Michel Cadot, the Paris prefect. Wielding the weapon, the man shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest), Cadot said.

The soldier fired five shots in response.

The attacker was wearing two backpacks and may have had a second weapon, Cadot said. He was seriously injured by a bullet to the stomach.

One solider was slightly injured on the scalp, Cadot said.

No explosives were found in the backpacks of the man, who was taken into custody alive and conscious. He is being tended to by firefighters, Cadot said.

About 250 visitors who were in the Louvre museum at the time were taken to a secure area, Cadot said, and will be evacuated in small groups.

A security cordon was set up after the incident, Cadot said, which began at 10 a.m. (4 a.m. ET.)

He praised the response of the police and military at the scene.

A music producer from Florida, VoiceBoxx, tweeted that "something is going down" at the Louvre, saying he saw "30 National Police vehicles with guns drawn."

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