13-10-2023 (PARIS) A tranquil morning at the Gambetta high school in the northern city of Arras was shattered when a knife-wielding attacker stormed the building, killing a French language teacher and seriously injuring two others. The attack, which took place at around 11:00 local time, has left the community reeling in shock and searching for answers.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed that the attacker, who has been arrested and is now in custody, shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. Witnesses described the man, who is believed to be in his 20s, as being of Chechen origin and known to the security services for his involvement with radical Islam.
The victim, a French language teacher, was tragically killed in the attack, while two others, including another teacher and a security guard, were seriously injured. The attacker, who was described as a former pupil at the school, is believed to have acted alone.
The French anti-terror prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the attack, which is being treated as “murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise” and “attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.” News channel BFMTV has reported that the brother of the attacker has also been apprehended by police.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit the school later today, while the National Assembly in Paris has suspended its session in solidarity with the victims.
The attack comes at a time of rising tensions between France’s Muslim and Jewish communities, fueled by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, police have stated that there is nothing to indicate a link between the attack and the Middle East conflict.
The attack is a grim reminder of the fragility of life and the dangers that still exist in our society. It is a sobering reminder that the scourge of terrorism continues to threaten our communities, and that we must remain vigilant in the face of such threats.
The attack also comes nearly three years since the murder and beheading of another teacher, Samuel Paty, at his school outside Paris. The perpetrator of that attack, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Russian Muslim refugee, was shot dead by police shortly afterwards.
France: A man shouting “Allahu Akbar” has stabbed a schoolteacher to death, and wounded numerous others, in an attack on a school in the city of Arras today.https://t.co/q5UIRt9hLQ
— Wide Awake Media (@wideawake_media) October 13, 2023
