PARIS — A sniper mistakenly fired his weapon during a Tuesday speech by President François Hollande in southwestern France, slightly injuring two people, according to a regional official.
Video footage of the speech shows Hollande stopping midsentence at the sound of gunfire about 17 minutes into his remarks.
“I hope it’s nothing serious,” Hollande said, turning to look in the direction of the commotion. “I don’t think so,” he concluded a few seconds later, launching back into his speech.
According to the Figaro newspaper, the sniper was stationed under a marquis near where guests were to gather for a cocktail reception. The sniper apparently belonged to the PSPG, an elite protection platoon, and had fired accidentally when he changed his position, the Figaro reported.
