Attack on synagogue suspected
French police shoot suspected attacker
May 17, 2024, 10:58 a.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
Smoke rises near a synagogue in Rouen, France. The police suspect an attempted attack. An armed man confronts her on site and approaches the officers. They shoot.
According to authorities, the police in Rouen, northern France, prevented an arson attack on a synagogue this morning and shot the armed suspect. The man apparently tried to set the synagogue on fire and was killed by the emergency services, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on X. He praised the officers for “their responsiveness and courage.”
The officers were alerted because of “smoke development near the synagogue,” police sources said. “The man was armed with a knife and an iron bar,” a source familiar with the case told AFP. The man approached the police officers, who opened fire and killed him.
Prosecutors in Rouen opened two separate investigations into the incident. Public prosecutor Frédéric Teillet told AFP that he was being investigated for arson and violence against officials. According to him, the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death should also be investigated.
The identity and motives of the attacker are still unclear. The fire had been brought under control, said a city administration official. The mayor of Rouen said in a post that the Normandy city was “shocked and shocked.”
France is home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the USA. At the same time, the country is home to Europe’s largest Muslim community. Anti-Semitic crimes have increased in France since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There have also been numerous pro-Palestinian protests in France in recent months.