Global Courant
At least four children were stabbed this Thursday in a park located near Lake Annecy, in southern France, the Interior Ministry reported.
According to the AFP news agency and the newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré, the number of injured is five people, including four children. But the authorities have not confirmed this information.
According to the BBC’s France correspondent Hugh Schofield, the children, most of them three years old, were in the park near the lake with their teachers when a 46-year-old man approached and began stabbing them.
After fleeing the place, the man met an old man who was walking nearby and also stabbed him.
As he fled, the police were able to intercept him and place him under arrest. The authorities identified him as a citizen of Syrian origin who was seeking asylum in the country.
The governor of the region where the assault took place described the attack as “abominable” and added that the authorities are investigating what happened.
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack “an act of cowardice.”
“The nation is in shock,” Macron said.
“Our thoughts are with the injured, as well as their families and the emergency services.”
Plusieurs personnes dont des enfants ont été blessedés par un individu armé d’un couteau dans un square à Annecy. L’individu a été interpellé grâce à l’intervention très rapide des forces de l’ordre.
— Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) June 8, 2023
Local media noted that two of the injured minors are in critical condition, in addition to the adult who was injured.
The French National Assembly declared a minute of silence for the victims.
Lake Annecy is located about 560 kilometers south of Paris, near the border with Switzerland. It is a place recognized for its landscapes and large green areas.
