Overview
- The Paris prosecutor opened a case for organized theft and assigned specialized police units, including the brigades focused on banditry and trafficking of cultural property.
- Three to four masked suspects accessed the first floor from the Seine side with a truck‑mounted platform, smashed two vitrines in the Galerie d’Apollon, and fled on motorcycles in about seven minutes.
- The Louvre remains temporarily closed to preserve evidence after visitors were evacuated without injuries, as investigators review surveillance footage and conduct forensics.
- The Culture Ministry’s official count lists eight missing objects of incalculable patrimonial value, though some media report nine, and Empress Eugénie’s crown was found nearby with damage.
- Officials acknowledge vulnerabilities in museum security and launch reviews, with President Emmanuel Macron condemning the theft as an attack on national heritage and pledging recovery efforts.