Paris
—
A teacher was killed and many others were injured in a knife attack at a public school in Arras, northern France, on Friday, affiliate BFMTV reported.
According to BFMTV, a school staff member suffered multiple stab wounds and was in critical condition, while another teacher suffered minor injuries.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced on Friday that the suspect was under investigation for terrorism offences.
Following the attack in Arras, “the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office has opened investigations into: murders related to terrorist activities; attempted murders related to terrorist activities; the prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the organization is a terrorist organization A coalition of criminal elements preparing for crimes against the people.
According to BFMTV, the suspect is a 20-year-old man of Chechen descent, and French authorities had previously announced that he was under “active surveillance” before the incident.
BFMTV said the attack occurred at around 11 a.m. local time on Friday (5 a.m. Eastern time) at Gambetta High School.
According to a post on X by French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the attacker has been detained by police.
According to BFMTV, the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. His brother was also reportedly detained.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the public school where the incident occurred on Friday afternoon and said the attack showed “the barbarity of Islamic terrorism”.
“Almost three years after the murder of Samuel Paty, terrorism has once again struck a school that we all know about,” he said, referring to the October 2020 killing of a high school teacher in a Paris suburb.
Macron expressed his condolences to the family of the slain teacher, adding that their bravery “saved many people”.
Macron said the Arras prosecutor would hold a press conference “in the coming hours.”
French police posted on X asking people to avoid the area and avoid spreading misinformation about the incident online.
