CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now let's get you up to speed on exactly what happened in Paris today. Was it really an assassination attempt on the president of France? Well, a few hours ago, I spoke with "TIME" magazine's correspondent in Paris who said today's shooting at the Bastille Day parade was just a lone nut case, and not to be overplayed, but police are investigating this alleged neo-Nazi who fired a shot from the crowd. CNN's Emma Kennedy shows you what we know so far.</s>EMMA KENNEDY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Bastille Day celebrations began with a spectacular fly past over the Arc de Triomphe and the annual pomp and ceremony of the parade down the Champs Elysees. But as President Chirac rode in an open top jeep to inspect the troops, police were alerted by the sound of gunfire and cries from the crowd less than 50 meters away from him. The gunman had taken out a .22 caliber rifle and had fired one or two shots when police officers wrestled him to the ground. They dragged him to his feed to search and handcuff him, then led him away. The French authorities later said the 25-year old was known to belong to neo-Nazi and hooligan groups. He's now being held at a central Paris police station. Plain clothes detectives followed with a guitar case the gun was allegedly hidden in, and the rifle itself. One government minister claimed it was an assassination attempt, although the gunman appears to have been working on his own. Unruffled by this apparent attempt on his life, President Chirac, who successfully saw off the challenge by the far right and May's elections, completed his official duties as planned. This evening, a Paris magistrate said during questioning, the gunman had confessed to targeting the president. Emma Kennedy, ITV News.
French Police Investigate Chirac's Would-Be Assassin