French President Nicolas Sarkozy immediately traveled to Toulouse, together with the president of the French Jewish umbrella organization CRIF, Richard Prasquier. Sarkozy said it was "much too early" to know if there is a definite link. to the other shootings, adding: "Faced with this kind of toll, we can say that the French Republic as a whole has been hit by this appalling tragedy." Sarkozy placed the South-West of France on the highest level of terrorism alert.
Four people, among them three children, died when a man opened fire on a group of students and teachers at a Jewish school in Toulouse, in southern France on Monday morning. They were reportedly 30-year-old school teacher Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, his five and three-year-old sons, and a ten-year-old school boy. A 17-year-old boy was badly injured in the attack.19 March 2012
The incident happened on Monday morning at the drop-off point for the nursery- and primary-age children of the Ozar Hatorah school, which is located in the northeast of the city. The gunman escaped from the scene. He was wearing a helmet and fled on a black scooter.
The shooting comes a week after incidents in Toulouse and Montauban in which three people were killed and a fourth injured. The gunman also escaped on a scooter following that attack. The killer was reportedly armed with two weapons, one of which was the same .45 caliber as that fired in the attack on the paratroopers in Montauban. The AFP news agency said the gunman initially used a 9 mm weapon but it jammed so he switched to a .45 calibre gun.
The Socialist candidate for the French presidency, François Hollande, condemned the shooting in the strongest terms, saying it was an "anti-Semitic and abhorrent attack." He also traveled to Toulouse to pay his respects to the victims and their families. Read the rest on: World Jewish Congress.
No comments:
Post a Comment