Man opens fire at French nightclub, killing two

AFP - A guman shot dead two people at a nightclub in northern France early Sunday in what appeared to be a revenge attack after he was kicked out of the disco, police and local officials said.

The unidentified man, who was "known to police", had been thrown out of the Theatro disco in the heart of Lille but returned about 3 am and opened fire with a Kalashnikov-style weapon, a local official said.

A cloakroom attendant and a customer were killed and another five people including the club bouncer were injured and taken to hospital.

Police said the attacker, who appeared to have acted alone, had fled in a car after the shooting, and that a manhunt had been launched.

An AFP journalist at the scene said police had barred access to the disco.

"We were on the dance floor when we heard a big bang and there was a great stampede," said one nightclub goer who gave his name as Jeremy.

"At first I thought it was a firecracker. I went to the entrance to see what was happening and I saw a person lying on the floor in a pool of blood," he said, adding that about 200 to 300 people were in the club at the time.