Three people were tragically killed and three others were severely injured in a shooting rampage in the heart of Paris on Friday, according to police and prosecutors.

The suspect, a man in his 60s, was apprehended and taken into custody.

The motives of the gunman were unclear, with two of the four injured left in serious condition in rue d'Enghien in the trendy 10th arrondissement.

"The shooter has been arrested with his weapon. The danger is over," a police source told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "His motives remain unknown at this stage."

The shots fired shortly before midday (11 a.m. GMT) caused panic in the neighborhood, a bustling area of shops, restaurants and bars.

Resident Emmanuel Boujenan told AFP that the man had been arrested in a hair salon.

"There were people panicking, shouting to the police and pointing to the salon 'he's in there, he's in there, go in,'" he explained.

He said he saw two people on the floor of the salon with leg wounds.

A shopkeeper in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity that she heard seven or eight shots, saying "it was total panic. We locked ourselves inside."

The Paris prosecutor's office said an investigation had been opened and that "a man aged between 60 and 70 has been arrested and is in custody."

"His identity is in the process of being checked," it added.

News of the shooting set nerves jangling in a city that has been repeatedly targeted by terror groups since 2015.

Paris is also the scene of occasional outbreaks of gang violence.