Eiffel Tower shut over terror scare after bag man seen

In Paris, the iconic Eiffel Tower has been shut down and evacuated after a man with a large backpack was spotted scaling the tower before it opened Sunday morning.

Anti-terror police and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene, but the suspect has not been apprehended as of this writing. Tourists attempting to visit the site are being turned away, according to media reports.

While France is in a state of heightened alert, police say the man may not be a terrorist but a thrill-seeker who is attempting to parachute off the building.

“It’s happened in the past,” a police source tells the International Business Times. “The parachutist hides his kit the night before, and then gets into the tower and jumps off, while videoing.”