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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/24/reports-of-people-found-dead-after-armed-man-enters-monks-retirement-home-in-france
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| French police search for gunman after killing at monks' retirement home | French police search for gunman after killing at monks' retirement home |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman has been found dead at a retirement home for monks near Montpellier in southern France, after an armed masked man entered the home at 10pm on Thursday night. | A woman has been found dead at a retirement home for monks near Montpellier in southern France, after an armed masked man entered the home at 10pm on Thursday night. |
| Police said the residents of the home in Montferrier-sur-Lez in the Hérault were safe but that officers were still searching for the gunman. | |
| Investigators said they had no evidence at this stage to suggest the attack was terror-related. | |
| “For the time being, there is only one victim,” Montpellier prosecutor Christophe Barret told Agence France-Presse. “For the moment there is no particular evidence about the motive for this crime.” | |
| The man was not known to authorities. | |
| Residents of the home “are very elderly with an average age of 75 although some are more than 90,” said Alain Berthet, a local councillor in Montferrier-sur-Luz. Many of the residents require assistance to walk, he said. | |
| The secretary general of the French Bishops’ Conference, Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, said in a Twitter message: “Our prayers tonight go to the woman who lost her life in this attack on a retirement home.” | |
| There were conflicting reports over the identity of the dead woman. Initially, a police source told Reuters that she was believed to be the concierge, who had contacted police before she was killed with a knife. | There were conflicting reports over the identity of the dead woman. Initially, a police source told Reuters that she was believed to be the concierge, who had contacted police before she was killed with a knife. |
| However, later reports said that the concierge had escaped and freed herself after being bound and gagged by the gunman. | However, later reports said that the concierge had escaped and freed herself after being bound and gagged by the gunman. |
| It is thought the woman, who had been stabbed several times, was a resident of the three-storey retirement home. | It is thought the woman, who had been stabbed several times, was a resident of the three-storey retirement home. |
| There were about 60 residents, who included nuns and former missionaries as well as monks. | There were about 60 residents, who included nuns and former missionaries as well as monks. |
| The Paris anti-terrorist investigations unit is not running the investigation at this point. Local police referred to a “criminal act”. | The Paris anti-terrorist investigations unit is not running the investigation at this point. Local police referred to a “criminal act”. |