French police ending lockdowns in shooting area

Strasbourg police are starting to release thousands of people confined in buildings in the area of a deadly terrorist attack near the French city’s Christmas market.

An Associated Press photographer was among about 5,000 people in a basketball stadium at the time of the Tuesday night shooting when everyone was ordered to lock down and stay inside. He described stupefaction among the crowd, which included some families.

Police started letting them out some five hours later, in groups of about 100. A police helicopter is circling overhead, and entire neighborhoods of the city remain cordoned off.

The stadium is across from the European Parliament, where those inside were also put on lockdown. It’s unclear whether they are also being released.

The shooter is still at large. A terrorism investigation is under way.