Nine people are in custody after police stabbed to death a man carrying a knife in a Paris suburb that authorities believe may have killed another man found nearby.
The shooting of the 18-year-old suspect took place around 4pm on Friday in the city of Iragni in the Val de Ois. France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has confirmed to ABC News that it has opened an investigation into whether the killings were linked to terrorism.
The victim was beheaded, officials said. He was a male middle school teacher who, according to police, received threats during the lesson after referring to the controversial Charlie Hebdo cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed. The lesson prompted a complaint from one of the parents.
Speaking from middle school on Friday night, French President Emmanuel Macron said the teacher was the victim of a “guilty Islamist terrorist attack”.
“One of our fellow citizens … to teach today, was to teach students freedom of speech, freedom of belief and freedom of belief.” “It’s no coincidence that this evening it’s the teacher that killed this terrorist because he wanted to bring the republic back to its values.”
The victim was identified as authorities, year-old Samuel Patty, a professor of history and geography at the middle school, Collge du Bois de l’Lane.
Authorities say the suspect asked students in front of the school to help identify his victim. Officials said Pati was attacked near the school on his way home and had multiple injuries to his head, abdomen and upper body. A bloody knife was found at the scene, police said.
National police responded immediately after 4 p.m., local time, on Friday, officials said. The suspect was seen running towards police officers, firing five times that looked like a pistol, which turned out to be a toy air gun, officials said. Police said three officers opened fire, raising suspicions. While trying to get Get Bho, the suspect tried to stab the officers who failed him, officials said. The suspect was shot nine times, state anti-terrorism lawyer Jean-Franois Ricard said during a press briefing on Saturday.
The suspect was identified as a Moscow-born Chechen refugee who had French permits. He was unaware of the intelligence services, officials said.
The teenager claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter in a post that mentioned the victim’s name and included a Macabre photo of him, Ricard said. According to officials, part of the post said, “I executed one of your hellounds who dared to threaten Muhammad.” The account has since been suspended.
Nine people are in police custody, including four members of the suspect’s family, officials said. The father of the student who complained about the teacher’s lesson and another man who came to middle school with him are in his custody. The other man’s spouse was also taken in for questioning. Two people who came forward and indicated that they were in contact with the criminal shortly before the incident. Police are investigating to establish the involvement of those in custody, officials said.
Macro on Friday promised a quick response from the government.
“They won’t share us,” he said. “This is what they are looking for and citizens, we should all stand together.”
On Friday night, National Education Minister Jean-Michel Blancover reacted to the incident on Twitter.
“Tonight, it’s the Republic that is attacking the heinous murder of one of its servants, the professor.” “I think tonight about him, his family. Our unity and vision are the only answers to the destruction of Islamist terrorism. We will stand.”
Blankware announced on Saturday that a national tribute would be paid to the teacher, including a minute of silence. “Samuel Patty embodied the Republic in its most noble form: his school,” Blankware said.
Aragonese Mayor Thibault Humbert responded in an interview on local TV BFMTV on Friday night.
“It’s a very important spirit for us as residents of our city.” “I want to think for the family of this professor who was brutally murdered.”
In January 2015, a terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo’s offices in Fiso killed 12 people, including eight journalists from the satirical magazine. The attack is currently being heard.
Charlie began last month hebadoni police kauntarara ror of France’s former offices phisoni charina after the attack, which killed and two others injured.
Acknowledging the earlier incident on Saturday, Ricard said it was the second terrorist attack during the January trial. [2015] Attacks. … This confirms the very high level of Islamist terrorist threat we have faced. “
Charlie Hebdo expressed “horror and revolt” over the teacher’s death in a statement released on Twitter on Friday: “We extend our heartfelt support to his family, loved ones and all the teachers. We must fight harder than ever to defend. “
