French students freed, man in custody
Source: Agencies |
July 11, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN armed man who took hostages yesterday morning at a school complex just south of Paris released them all unhurt and was taken into custody, authorities said.
The drama began early in the day as parents dropped their children off at the complex, which includes nursery and elementary schools, in Vitry-sur-Seine, a commuter town with residents from a variety of socioeconomic classes. French schools are closed for the summer, but still run activities.
Most hostages, who included children, were freed fairly quickly, police said, though one parent was held for several hours. All were unhurt.
Shortly after releasing the last hostage, the man walked out, said Pierre Dartout, the prefect of the Val-de-Marne region. Teams from the elite Raid police force had been negotiating with him and took him into custody
One police official said the man was carrying a gun; others said they did not know what weapon he had.
Little was known about the hostage-taker, but a judicial official said he was in his 30s, lives in Vitry and had no police record.
In late June, a man took four employees of a bank hostage in Toulouse. Authorities at the time said he appeared to be mentally ill and ranted disjointedly about religious motives.
Toulouse is the southern French city that was terrorized by a gunman whom police say claimed links to al-Qaida and killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers.
The drama began early in the day as parents dropped their children off at the complex, which includes nursery and elementary schools, in Vitry-sur-Seine, a commuter town with residents from a variety of socioeconomic classes. French schools are closed for the summer, but still run activities.
Most hostages, who included children, were freed fairly quickly, police said, though one parent was held for several hours. All were unhurt.
Shortly after releasing the last hostage, the man walked out, said Pierre Dartout, the prefect of the Val-de-Marne region. Teams from the elite Raid police force had been negotiating with him and took him into custody
One police official said the man was carrying a gun; others said they did not know what weapon he had.
Little was known about the hostage-taker, but a judicial official said he was in his 30s, lives in Vitry and had no police record.
In late June, a man took four employees of a bank hostage in Toulouse. Authorities at the time said he appeared to be mentally ill and ranted disjointedly about religious motives.
Toulouse is the southern French city that was terrorized by a gunman whom police say claimed links to al-Qaida and killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers.
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