There French police have killed a gunman who was setting fire to a synagogue in the northern city of Rouen. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin made this known on X. “The national police of Rouen neutralized early this morning an armed individual who clearly wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue,” writes Darmanin on X.
The mayor of Rouen Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol declared on social media that the fire was put out by the firefighters and that there were no other victims besides the attacker. “Full support for the Jewish community of Rouen,” the mayor said.
Armed with knife and iron barthe man who was setting fire to the synagogue he lashed out at the police, who intervened after being called to the fire. An officer used her weapon to neutralize him. Le Figaro recounts the details of the attempted fire at the Jewish place of worship in northern France, an attack that left the city’s inhabitants “in shock”, in the words of the mayor.
What happened
Around 6.50 a witness alerted the police to the smoke coming from the place of worship – explains the French newspaper – the suspect apparently overturned a rubbish bin to access the roof of the building. After breaking a window, he allegedly “threw an incendiary element into the synagogue, causing a fire and extensive damage”, the mayor of Rouen told the press. Once on site, the officers noticed the presence of the suspect, standing on the wall surrounding the place of worship, as indicated by a police source. Equipped with an iron bar, he jumped from the building and threw himself at the officers brandishing a 25 centimeter knife. The auxiliary police officer threatened by the attacker backed away before using his weapon several times, resulting in the death of the suspect.
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The man was only equipped with a transport ticket, with which it will be possible to ascertain his identity, which will still have to be confirmed by the investigations entrusted to the area directorate of the judicial police, underlined the public prosecutor. According to information from the Figaro, it would be a 29-year-old Algerian, subject to the obligation to leave French territory for less than a year, but which was not enforceable because the man had appealed to the administrative court.
Meanwhile, checks are underway, in particular on fingerprints. The investigations aimed at clarifying the suspect’s motivations and his identity have been entrusted to the General Directorate of the National Police as part of the investigation opened by the Rouen prosecutor’s office for “arson against a place of worship” and “intentional fire, violence against those who hold public powers”. A second investigation is carried out by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (Igpn) on the conditions of use of the weapon by the police officer.
