3 Dead In Christmas Market Shooting in Strasbourg, France

A shooting in the French city of Strasbourg killed three people and wounded as many as a dozen others near a world-famous Christmas market on Tuesday, authorities said.

The suspect, a 29-year-old resident of Strasbourg, carried about the attack with a long gun, a law enforcement source told CBS News.

His home was raided Tuesday morning regarding a previous investigation, the source said.

French prosecutors said a terrorism investigation was opened after the shooting, though authorities did not announce a motive for the bloodshed. The city is home to the European Parliament, which was locked down after the shooting. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were inside.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters that the gunman has been identified, and had a police record for common crimes. He said several of the wounded were in critical condition and that he was heading to Strasbourg.

The death toll, first reported as one, rose to three by late Tuesday, according to two police union officials. One official, Stephane Morisse of union FGP, said the alleged shooter was wounded by soldiers guarding the market.

Local authorities tweeted for the public to "avoid the area of the police station," which is close to the city's Christmas market. Strasbourg's well-known market is set up around the city's cathedral during the Christmas period and becomes a major gathering place.

Images from the scene show police officers, police vehicles and barricades surrounding the sparkling lights of the market. Some Strasbourg residents reported on social media that they heard gunfire in some parts of the city center.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe tweeted that "the situation is still underway, priority is given to security forces and rescuers."

Strasbourg, about 310 miles east of Paris, is on the border with Germany.