Urgent: Gunshots heard near Champs Elysees in Paris

Gunshots were heard near the Champs Elysees shopping street in Paris around 8 p.m. local time on Thursday, a source near the site told Xinhua.

Around 20 gunshots were fired, while shoppers were trapped in the stores, the source said.

The Paris police department later advised people to avoid going to the area on its twitter account. Local television reported that two police officers were severely injured.

The cause of the gunshots remains unknown. Endit