2023 Arras school stabbing explained

Arras school stabbing
Location:Arras, Hauts-de-France, France
Type:Mass stabbing
Weapon:Knife
Fatalities:1
Injuries:3
Motive:Islamic extremism[1]

On 13 October 2023, a mass stabbing took place at the Gambetta-Carnot secondary school in Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, France. One person was killed, and three others were seriously wounded.

The suspect was previously known to the French security services for his involvement with radical Islamism.

Background

Amid the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal called for a global day of protest on 13 October, which the media misrepresented as a 'Global Day of Jihad'.[2] [3] The pronouncement led to widespread fears for the safety of both global Jewish communities, as well as the general public, resulting in numerous cancellations of public events, as well as increases in security and policing.[4] [5] [6] As a precaution, numerous schools, both public and Jewish, were closed for the day.[7] [8]

Attack

At around 11:00 CEST on 13 October 2023, the attack began in the school's car park.[9] [10] According to witnesses the suspect was heard shouting "Allahu akbar" during the attack.[11] The attacker was confronted by a teacher and other members of staff including the headmaster before being detained by police.[12]

Casualties

A French language teacher, Dominique Bernard, was killed while another teacher, a security guard and a cleaner were seriously injured.[13] [14]

Suspect

Police said that the suspected attacker was a Russian man of Ingush origin[15] who was born in 2003 and had moved to France with his family in 2008. Police had arrested him the previous day on suspicion of radicalism.[13] The suspect was known to the French security services for his involvement with radical Islamism; he was arrested by police.[16] The suspect was listed at a state list of potential dangerous persons and the domestic secret service DGSI is said to have, among other things, intercepted his telephone conversations.[17] The suspect is a former student of the school and his younger brother was also detained on the same day.[18] The prosecutor said that the attacker had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed his hatred for France.[19]

Aftermath

The funeral of Bernard was held in the Arras cathedral with screens used to broadcast the hundred watching outside. Bernard was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honor by French President Macron.[20]

Immediately after the attack France mobilized at least 7,000 soldiers to be stationed around the country for an increase in security.[21] Classes were canceled at the Gambetta-Carnot school where Bernard taught, and bomb threats were seen across the country, in airports, the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles. The school was subject to a bomb threat after Bernard's death but as it had only been open to allow pupils and staff to pay tribute to Bernard and other victims, the process of evacuation was quick.[22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 17 October 2023. Pierre de Cossette. 17 October 2023. France Info. Attentat d'Arras : le suspect a réalisé une vidéo et un audio de revendication et d'allégeance à l'Etat islamique avant l'attaque. 17 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231017094724/https://www.francetvinfo.fr/faits-divers/attaque-au-couteau-dans-un-lycee-a-arras/attentat-d-arras-l-assaillant-a-realise-une-video-et-un-audio-de-revendication-et-d-allegeance-a-l-etat-islamique-avant-de-passer-a-l-acte_6127356.html. live. .
  2. Web site: 2023-10-13 . Global Knife Attack Frenzy as Hamas 'Day of Rage' Gets Underway . 2023-10-13 . Yahoo News . en-US.
  3. Web site: Former Hamas chief calls for protests, neighbours to join war against Israel . Reuters.
  4. Web site: Frazao . Kristine . 12 October 2023 . Former Hamas leader calls Friday 'Day of Jihad,' calls on Muslims to take to the streets . 13 October 2023 . KEYE . en.
  5. Web site: 13 October 2023 . LAPD stepping up security amid call for 'Global Day of Jihad' . 13 October 2023 . KTLA . en-US.
  6. Web site: Wehner . Greg . 12 October 2023 . NYC officials beef up police presence for Friday 'global day of Jihad' despite 'no specific, credible threats' . 13 October 2023 . Fox News . en-US.
  7. Web site: Vainshtein . Annie . Bay Area schools announced closures, increased security after 'Day Of Jihad” Call . San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. Web site: Bleakley . Caroline . 2 Las Vegas schools close Friday over ‘Day of Jihad’ safety concerns . KLAS Las Vegas.
  9. Web site: Willsher . Kim . 13 October 2023 . Teacher killed and two injured in stabbing at school in northern France . 13 October 2023 . The Guardian . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013105227/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/13/teacher-killed-in-arras-school-attack-in-northern-france . live .
  10. Web site: 13 October 2023 . France school stabbing: Here's what we know about the Arras attack . 13 October 2023 . Reuters . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013215628/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-school-stabbing-heres-what-we-know-about-arras-attack-2023-10-13/ . live .
  11. Web site: Leicester . John . Petrequin . Samuel . Schaeffer . Jeffery . 13 October 2023 . A teacher is dead and 2 people are wounded after a France stabbing attack that echoes 2020 killing . 13 October 2023 . AP News . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013124429/https://apnews.com/article/france-school-stabbing-arras-878f42a5df4a873ca7bd80a173cc9097 . live .
  12. Web site: Ataman . Joseph . 13 October 2023 . Teacher killed and several people wounded in France school knife attack . 13 October 2023 . CNN . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013110247/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/13/europe/arras-france-school-knife-attack-intl/index.html . live .
  13. Web site: 13 October 2023 . France school killing was terror attack, says Emmanuel Macron . 13 October 2023 . Sky News . 15 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231015141710/https://news.sky.com/story/teacher-killed-and-several-injured-in-knife-attack-at-school-in-france-reports-12983722 . live .
  14. Web site: 13 October 2023 . France raises alert to highest level after teacher's fatal stabbing . 13 October 2023 . France 24 . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013164227/https://www.france24.com/en/france/20231013-macron-says-second-attack-foiled-after-fatal-stabbing-at-french-school . live .
  15. News: Tarkhanov. A.. 2023-10-14. Террорист запросился обратно в школу: Ингуш зарезал французского учителя. The terrorist asked to return to school: Ingush stabbed a French teacher to death. Kommersant. ru. Moskva. Kommersant. 5. 1563-6380. 1561-347X. 244126120. 15 October 2023. 2 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231102025300/https://www.kommersant.ru/amp/6280383. live.
  16. Web site: 13 October 2023 . Teacher killed in France school stabbing . 13 October 2023 . BBC News . 15 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231015212920/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67101089 . live .
  17. News: 2023-10-14 . Frankreich mobilisiert nach Messerattacke in Arras 7000 Soldaten für Patrouillen . de . Der Spiegel . 2023-10-14 . 2195-1349 . 14 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231014225913/https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/frankreich-mobilisiert-nach-messerattacke-in-arras-7000-soldaten-fuer-patrouillen-a-b28523ff-2f67-44c1-a424-9e5c92436913 . live .
  18. Web site: Rossignol . Pascal . Foroundi . Layli . Rose . Michael . 13 October 2023 . Teacher killed in Islamist attack on French school, Macron says . 13 October 2023 . Reuters . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013101202/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/teacher-killed-knife-attack-school-northern-france-bfm-tv-2023-10-13/ . live .
  19. Web site: French prosecutor says alleged attacker in school stabbing declared allegiance to Islamic State. Associated Press. 17 October 2023. 17 October 2023. 18 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231018194516/https://apnews.com/article/france-islamic-state-school-attack-paris-1accebb8701a125dbd896a98d6b0a85f. live.
  20. Web site: 2023-10-19 . France pays respects to teacher killed in school terror attack . 2023-10-19 . France 24 . en . 19 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231019163855/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231019-france-pays-respects-to-teacher-killed-in-islamist-attack . live .
  21. Web site: Scaeffer . Jefferey . Charlton . Angela . 2023-10-14 . France is deploying 7,000 troops after a deadly school stabbing by a suspected Islamic radical . 2023-10-19 . AP News . en . 19 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231019152101/https://apnews.com/article/france-school-stabbing-islamic-radical-96a24beba514c71e61ceb8c25da2cff7 . live .
  22. Web site: Ross . Alex . 2023-10-16 . School where teacher was stabbed to death in France evacuated over bomb threat . 2023-10-19 . The Independent . en . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020152201/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/crime/france-school-knife-attack-arras-b2430336.html . live .

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