Four people have been killed in a shootout at a Roma camp in north-eastern France, police say.
Gendarmes stand guard near a gypsy camp, the site of a shooting which killed four people and seriously wounded three. Photo: AFP
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters those killed "in cold blood" included a six-month-old baby, a man and a woman.
Reports said a police officer died from his wounds shortly after the incident. Another policeman was injured.
The violence took place in the northern town of Roye, about 110km north of Paris.
It is unclear what provoked the incident.
Witnesses told the AFP news agency that a fight broke out in the camp and one of the men involved began shooting when police arrived at the scene.
The gunman was said to be in a serious condition after being shot by police.
A gendarme holds a HK UMP submachine gun as he blocks a road near the Roma camp. Photo: AFP
The local Courrier Picard newspaper reported that security forces had sealed off the area.
President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed shock over the incident.
"My thoughts are with the families, with the victims and the policeman killed in the service of France," Mr Valls tweeted (in French).
In a statement, Mr Hollande hailed the "courage and commitment" of the police officers who responded to the incident.
- BBC
