TOURS (France), Oct 29: A railway employee went on a shooting spree on Monday in the central French city of Tours, killing four people and wounding seven others before being shot and arrested.

The man acted from no discernible motive, and officials ruled out any connection with the current international crisis.

Witnesses said the man got out of his car at a busy intersection near the city’s courthouse and city hall shortly before 10am, put on a ski mask and began shooting at random at passers-by and vehicles.

“We saw him walking back and forth and aiming at people,” said Stephane Bocquet, a caretaker at city hall.

Authorities said the four people who were killed were passers-by aged between 36 and 66. All of them were men.

Approaching the city hall, the man shot at police who tried to intervene.

One was shot in the wrist, another in the neck. The gunman then fled into an underground parking lot near the train station before being shot in the chest by police and arrested.

Prime Minister Lionel Jospin described the incident as a “mad killing”.—AFP