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France shooting: Toulouse Jewish school attack kills four | |
(40 minutes later) | |
A gunman on a scooter has opened fire on a Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse, killing three children and a teacher, police say. | |
A teenage boy was seriously injured in the attack outside the Ozar Hatorah school in the north-east of the city. | |
Police say there are similarities with the killings of three soldiers in two separate incidents in the same part of France last week. | |
All three - of North African origin - were shot by a man on a scooter. | All three - of North African origin - were shot by a man on a scooter. |
A paratrooper out of uniform was shot dead in a residential area of Toulouse just over a week ago, while two soldiers were killed and a third wounded as they used a cashpoint in the town of Montauban, some 29 miles (46km) away, on Thursday. | |
But President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has gone to the scene, said it is "much too early" to know if there is a definite link. | |
"Whatever happens," he said, "faced with this kind of toll, we can say that the French Republic as a whole has been hit by this appalling tragedy." | "Whatever happens," he said, "faced with this kind of toll, we can say that the French Republic as a whole has been hit by this appalling tragedy." |
The grand rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, who is travelling to the south-western city, said he was "horrified" and "stunned" by what had happened. | |
Israel also said it was horrified, adding that it trusted the French authorities "to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice". | Israel also said it was horrified, adding that it trusted the French authorities "to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice". |
'Shot at everything' | 'Shot at everything' |
Monday's attack happened as children and their parents were arriving at the school, in the Joliment area of the city. | |
Local prosecutor Michel Valet said a 30-year-old man and his sons, aged three and six, were killed, along with another child aged between eight and 10 years old. A 17-year-old was seriously injured. | Local prosecutor Michel Valet said a 30-year-old man and his sons, aged three and six, were killed, along with another child aged between eight and 10 years old. A 17-year-old was seriously injured. |
The man who was killed is widely reported to have been a teacher at the school. | |
"[The gunman] shot at everything he could see, children and adults, and some children were chased into the school," Mr Valet said. | |
The Toulouse-based La Depeche newspaper said the shooting took place at the drop-off point for the nursery- and primary-age children of the school. | The Toulouse-based La Depeche newspaper said the shooting took place at the drop-off point for the nursery- and primary-age children of the school. |
It said the killer was armed with two weapons, one of which was the same .45 calibre weapon as that fired in the attack on the paratroopers in Montauban. | It said the killer was armed with two weapons, one of which was the same .45 calibre weapon as that fired in the attack on the paratroopers in Montauban. |
AFP news agency said the gunman initially used a 9-mm weapon but it jammed so he switched to a .45 calibre weapon. | |
A journalist in Toulouse, Christopher Bockman, told the BBC the city was in lockdown as police hunt the killer. | |
Some 60 police officers, including anti-terrorist specialists, had already been drafted in to help investigate the attacks on the soldiers. | Some 60 police officers, including anti-terrorist specialists, had already been drafted in to help investigate the attacks on the soldiers. |
They had been looking for a gunman who was targeting soldiers, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says. | They had been looking for a gunman who was targeting soldiers, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says. |
But if the latest attack does prove to be linked, then it suggests the pattern has changed and, if so, police are looking for a dangerous serial killer, our correspondent adds. | But if the latest attack does prove to be linked, then it suggests the pattern has changed and, if so, police are looking for a dangerous serial killer, our correspondent adds. |
Are you in Toulouse? Did you witness the shooting? Send us your comments using the form below. | Are you in Toulouse? Did you witness the shooting? Send us your comments using the form below. |
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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