Louvre Museum, Versailles Palace evacuated following bomb threats day after fatal stabbing by suspected extremist

One day after a suspected extremist fatally stabbed his former teacher in northern France, scores of people were evacuated from the Louvre Museum in Paris and Versailles Palace for fear of a possible terrorist attack.

Alarms ripped through the halls of Louvre — home to iconic works such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo — Saturday morning, alerting both art-lovers and staff to the potential threat. They were activated after the museum received written bomb threats, according to Paris police, who have since cordoned off the beloved landmark from all sides.

The Louvre communication service confirmed no one had been hurt.

Given “the current national context,” the museum — which sees between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors daily — decided to shut down for the day while authorities swept the premises, Coralie James, a spokeswoman for the museum, told the New York Times.

On Friday, a Chechen immigrant, who had been under surveillance by French security services over suspected Islamic radicalization, stabbed a teacher to death at a school in the city of Arras, about 115 miles north of Paris, near the border with Belgium. A colleague and a fellow teacher identified the dead educator as Dominique Bernard, a French language teacher at the Gambetta-Carnot school, which enrolls students ages 11-18 years old.

Three more people, including two security guards and a teacher, were also wounded in the attack. Police confirmed a suspect, identified by prosecutors only as as Mohamed M., was arrested at the scene, though they have since said he has refused to answer investigators’ questions.

Hours after the Louvre closed its doors, the Palace of Versailles — built for King Louis XIV — was also evacuated. In a statement on social media, police said a suspicious package had been found but did not provide further details.

Earlier Saturday, Sebastien Lecornu, France’s defense minister, announced up to 7,000 soldiers were being deployed to strengthen security at sensitive sites, at the request of President Emmanuel Macron.

The government is also concerned about fallout in France from the war between Israel and Hamas.

With News Wire Services