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Paris school hostage siege ends | Paris school hostage siege ends |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A man apparently brandishing a fake gun has freed the final hostage he had been holding at a French school outside Paris and has himself been captured. | |
The last hostage was a parent who had come to drop off a child at the school in Vitry-sur-Seine, which is being used as a leisure centre during the holidays, police said. | The last hostage was a parent who had come to drop off a child at the school in Vitry-sur-Seine, which is being used as a leisure centre during the holidays, police said. |
Earlier, the man released a group of children he had been holding. | |
Many French schools run summer activities during the holidays. | Many French schools run summer activities during the holidays. |
Officers of the elite police Raid unit attended the scene. | Officers of the elite police Raid unit attended the scene. |
"The Raid succeeded in freeing the hostage during negotiations," a police source said. The man was captured unharmed. | "The Raid succeeded in freeing the hostage during negotiations," a police source said. The man was captured unharmed. |
The man was using an imitation automatic weapon that could only fire gas cartridges, judicial sources said. | |
'Desire to die' | 'Desire to die' |
The Charles Perrault pre-school is in the centre of the town, itself some 7.5 km (5 miles) from the centre of Paris. | The Charles Perrault pre-school is in the centre of the town, itself some 7.5 km (5 miles) from the centre of Paris. |
Police were called at about 07:00 (05:00 GMT) to the school, where five to 10 children and three parents were at the time, French radio reported. | Police were called at about 07:00 (05:00 GMT) to the school, where five to 10 children and three parents were at the time, French radio reported. |
The children were quickly released. | The children were quickly released. |
The hostage-taker was said to be in his 30s and unknown to the police. | The hostage-taker was said to be in his 30s and unknown to the police. |
He may have been wearing a binman's green boiler suit when he entered the school, police sources told French radio. | He may have been wearing a binman's green boiler suit when he entered the school, police sources told French radio. |
A judicial source said the man had "made incoherent statements and expressed a desire to die", during negotiations, adding that the hostage taker had "at no point been threatening" with the parent held captive, the AFP news agency reports. | A judicial source said the man had "made incoherent statements and expressed a desire to die", during negotiations, adding that the hostage taker had "at no point been threatening" with the parent held captive, the AFP news agency reports. |
Last month, a 26-year-old man with a record of psychological problems was shot and arrested by elite police in Toulouse after taking several hostages and claiming to be a member of al-Qaeda. | Last month, a 26-year-old man with a record of psychological problems was shot and arrested by elite police in Toulouse after taking several hostages and claiming to be a member of al-Qaeda. |
Toulouse is also where another al-Qaeda-inspired gunman, 23-year-old Mohamed Merah, was shot dead by police after killing three soldiers, three Jewish children at a school and a rabbi. | Toulouse is also where another al-Qaeda-inspired gunman, 23-year-old Mohamed Merah, was shot dead by police after killing three soldiers, three Jewish children at a school and a rabbi. |