A CHILLING text sent by a gunman who fired at police before being shot dead after snatching a female soldier’s weapon at Paris Orly Airport has emerged.

The suspect, named as Zied B, text his dad saying “I did a bulls***, I shot at the police” before he wrestled a soldier deployed to stop terrorists at Paris’ second biggest airport at about 8.30am local time (6.30pm AEDT).

Zied B is said to be a drug-taking serial offender with psychological problems, reports The Sun.

Earlier a police source told Reuters the suspect was a “radicalised Muslim known to authorities”.

Troops who responded to the crisis said the man shouted he was ready to die for Allah.

“Put your weapons down. I’m here to die for Allah. In any case people are going to die,” the man told three patrolling soldiers, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters.

Shortly before the airport shooting a man travelling by car opened fire during a routine stop-and-search operation in the north of the city, wounding one officer in the head.

media_camera Soldiers patrol at Orly Airport, south of Paris, Saturday, March, 18, 2017. Picture: AP.

The man then fled, threatening a motorist with a weapon to steal her car. Police say that car was later found close to Orly Airport.

On route it is believed the suspect “burst into a bar and threatened those present”.

The suspect’s brother and father have been taken into police custody, a judicial source told Reuters.

The family are believed to be French with a Tunisian background.

France24: Live

The Paris prosecutors office said Zied B, 39, has multiple offences on his criminal record.

The office, which earlier said he was not on a country’s terrorist database, have revealed he had “crossed authorities’ radar for suspected Islamic extremism”.

His home was searched in 2015 but no incriminating evidence was found, a source added.

[#Orly]Opération de Police toujours en cours. Aucune victime à déplorer.Police fortement mobilisée. pic.twitter.com/LlQLDKE2WQ — Police Nationale (@PoliceNationale) March 18, 2017

French President Francois Hollande tweeted: I salute the courage and efficiency of police and military officers who faced the violence of a particularly dangerous individual”.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the attacker assaulted three air force soldiers who were patrolling the airport.

He said the soldier attacked managed to hold on to her rifle and two soldiers she was with opened fire to protect her and the public.

A witness identified only as Dominque had told BFM TV: “The soldiers took aim at the man, who in turn pointed the gun he had seized at the two soldiers.”

media_camera An elite police officer patrols at Orly Airport, south of Paris. Picture: AP

The suspect fled into a shop at the airport before he was shot dead, an interior ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said no others were wounded at the airport.

Anti-terror cops flooded Paris’ second biggest airport as flights were redirected.

Bomb disposal experts were also called in and have confirmed the suspect was not wearing a suicide vest.

media_camera A police officer patrols at the Orly Airport, with its control tower in background, south of Paris. Picture: AP

Originally published as ‘In any case people are going to die’