Global Courant
PARIS — An attacker stabbed four young children and two adults with a knife in a French mountain town on Thursday before being arrested, police said.
Police said the children were only three years old and three of the injured – two children and an adult – were in serious condition. Two other children suffered minor injuries, police said.
President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet that the suspect had carried out “an attack of cowardice” and said those injured were “between life and death”.
Lawmakers in France’s parliament interrupted a debate to hold a minute’s silence following news of the attack.
Lawmakers at the French National Assembly in Paris applaud to pay tribute to the victims of a knife attack on Thursday.Lewis Joly/AP
A group of schoolchildren was on an escorted trip to Lake Annecy in the south of the country when the attack occurred at 9:45 a.m. local time (3:45 a.m. ET), French National Police told NBC News.
Police said the attack took place in Le Pâquier d’Annecy, a park on the north side of the lake, with a children’s playground and spectacular views over the lake and surrounding mountains.
They initially gave a higher number of wounded, but later revised the count down.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a tweet that the suspect was “arrested thanks to the very swift intervention of the police”.
François Astorg, the mayor of Annecy, called the attack “appalling” and said there would be a press conference later.
The suspect is a 31-year-old of Syrian descent, but a motive was unclear, police said.
This is an evolving story. Check back here soon for updates.
Nancy Ing reported from Paris and Patrick Smith from London.
