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France shooting: Toulouse Jewish school attack kills four France shooting: Toulouse Jewish school attack kills four
(about 1 hour 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 gunman has shot dead a teacher and three children at a Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse.
A teenage boy was seriously injured in the attack outside the Ozar Hatorah school in the north-east of the city. He opened fire on the Ozar Hatorah school in the north-east of the city, also seriously injuring a teenage boy.
Police say there are similarities with the killings of three soldiers in two separate incidents in the same part of France last week. The attacker fled on a scooter, in similar style to the killer 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. Officials admit there are similarities between the incidents but say there is no hard evidence yet linking them.
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. President Nicolas Sarkozy, who flew into Toulouse, described the attack as a "national tragedy". He has called for all schools in France to observe a minute's silence on Tuesday and vowed to hunt down killer.
But President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has gone to the scene, said it is "much too early" to know if there is a definite link. The grand rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim said he was "horrified" and "stunned" by what had happened, and Israel called on the French authorities "to shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice".
"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." Monday's attack happened at around 08:00 local time (07:00 GMT), as children and their parents were arriving at the school, in the Joliment area of the city.
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. Witnesses said the gunman pulled up on a black scooter and began shooting at an area which serves as the drop-off point for the school's nursery- and primary-age children.
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". "This man alighted from his moped and, as he was outside the school, he shot at everybody who was near him, children or adults. Children were chased right into the school," local prosecutor Michel Valet told journalists.
Monday's attack happened as children and their parents were arriving at the school, in the Joliment area of the city. The gunman is reported to have initially used a 9mm weapon, but when it jammed he switched to a .45 calibre weapon.
A teacher at the school, believed to be aged 30, and his two children, aged three and six, are reported to have been killed.A teacher at the school, believed to be aged 30, and his two children, aged three and six, are reported to have been killed.
The third child killed was aged between eight and 10 years old and belonged to another teacher at the school, French media report.The third child killed was aged between eight and 10 years old and belonged to another teacher at the school, French media report.
A 17-year-old was seriously injured.A 17-year-old was seriously injured.
"[The gunman] shot at everything he could see, children and adults, and some children were chased into the school," local prosecutor Michel Valet said. Police have launched a massive hunt in Toulouse to find the killer - wailing sirens and the sounds of helicopters overhead could be heard throughout the morning.
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.
AFP news agency said the gunman initially used a 9-mm weapon but it jammed so he switched to a .45 calibre weapon.
Police have launched a massive hunt in Toulouse to find the killer, and security has been tightened around all Jewish schools in France.
Some 60 police officers, including anti-terrorist specialists, had already been drafted in to the Toulouse area earlier in the week to help investigate the attacks on the soldiers.Some 60 police officers, including anti-terrorist specialists, had already been drafted in to the Toulouse area earlier in the week 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. 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 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. All three - of North African and Caribbean origin - were shot by a man on a scooter. A .45 calibre weapon was also used in the Montauban shootings.
Mr Sarkozy echoed the comments of other French officials when he said he was "struck by the similarities" of the recent attacks, but he warned against jumping to conclusions.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon has asked for all schools and religious buildings across the country to be secured in the wake of Monday's shooting, the Associated Press reports.
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.
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