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French police have killed the suspected gunman who shot and stabbed people at Strasbourg’s Christmas market, killing three and leaving a dozen wounded.
Chérif Chekatt*was shot dead on Thursday evening, 48 hours after he disappeared*sparking a massive manhunt. He was killed after police officers spotted him in the Neudorf area of south-east Strasbourg near where he was last seen getting out of a taxi on Tuesday evening.
French interior minister Christophe Castaner said three police officers had come across the suspected man, whom he described as “the terrorist”, in the street at around 9pm local time (8pm GMT) on Thursday.
“When the individual turned and shot at the police, they immediately returned fire and neutralised the assailant,” Castaner said. Police said none of their officers had been injured in the exchange. Police said Chekatt’s weapon was an 8mm ordnance revolver, an old weapon, and that the officers who shot him were the local police equivalent of neighbourhood police, not firearms specialists.
In a short statement to press, Castaner added his thoughts were with the victims and their families of Tuesday’s attack as well as for Strasbourg, which he said had been “bruised” by the incident.
And he praised the security services involved in hunting the suspected gunman. “I am proud. Proud of you,” he said.
Castaner told journalists the suspect had been “neutralised” according to the rules. “Our objective was to arrest him but after they [police] were shot at one or twice, they were obliged to fire back,” Castaner said.
Chekatt, 29, who was born in Strasbourg, was on the Fiché-S list of people considered a potential security threat and had been flagged up as having been radicalised. He was well known to police as a criminal and had been convicted 27 times, mostly for theft and violence, in*France, Germany and Switzerland.
On Tuesday morning, police went to arrest him in connection with an armed robbery and attempted murder, but he was not home. Inside his flat, officers allegedly found a stun grenade, a rifle and several knives, including two hunting knives.
Hours later, the gunman marched over a bridge into central Strasbourg, opened fire at shoppers at the market and stabbed passers-by. After exchanging fire with patrolling soldiers during which he was shot in the arm, he jumped in a taxi and made a 10-minute journey to Neudorf. Leaving the taxi, the suspect was involved in another exchange of fire with police. He then disappeared.
The French authorities immediately blocked main roads out of the city and reinforced France’s border with Germany.
Witnesses said the man shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he shot into the crowds and slashed at passersby with a knife. An investigation has been opened for “murder and attempted murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise”.
On Wednesday, French police launched a national appeal for information about Chekatt, described as a “dangerous individual”. More than 700 security forces had been mobilised to hunt for the suspected gunman and France had upgraded its security level to the highest possible.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Castaner announced the Christmas market, which attracts millions of visitors, would reopen under high security on Friday.
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Chérif Chekatt*was shot dead on Thursday evening, 48 hours after he disappeared*sparking a massive manhunt. He was killed after police officers spotted him in the Neudorf area of south-east Strasbourg near where he was last seen getting out of a taxi on Tuesday evening.
French interior minister Christophe Castaner said three police officers had come across the suspected man, whom he described as “the terrorist”, in the street at around 9pm local time (8pm GMT) on Thursday.
“When the individual turned and shot at the police, they immediately returned fire and neutralised the assailant,” Castaner said. Police said none of their officers had been injured in the exchange. Police said Chekatt’s weapon was an 8mm ordnance revolver, an old weapon, and that the officers who shot him were the local police equivalent of neighbourhood police, not firearms specialists.
In a short statement to press, Castaner added his thoughts were with the victims and their families of Tuesday’s attack as well as for Strasbourg, which he said had been “bruised” by the incident.
And he praised the security services involved in hunting the suspected gunman. “I am proud. Proud of you,” he said.
Castaner told journalists the suspect had been “neutralised” according to the rules. “Our objective was to arrest him but after they [police] were shot at one or twice, they were obliged to fire back,” Castaner said.
Chekatt, 29, who was born in Strasbourg, was on the Fiché-S list of people considered a potential security threat and had been flagged up as having been radicalised. He was well known to police as a criminal and had been convicted 27 times, mostly for theft and violence, in*France, Germany and Switzerland.
On Tuesday morning, police went to arrest him in connection with an armed robbery and attempted murder, but he was not home. Inside his flat, officers allegedly found a stun grenade, a rifle and several knives, including two hunting knives.
Hours later, the gunman marched over a bridge into central Strasbourg, opened fire at shoppers at the market and stabbed passers-by. After exchanging fire with patrolling soldiers during which he was shot in the arm, he jumped in a taxi and made a 10-minute journey to Neudorf. Leaving the taxi, the suspect was involved in another exchange of fire with police. He then disappeared.
The French authorities immediately blocked main roads out of the city and reinforced France’s border with Germany.
Witnesses said the man shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he shot into the crowds and slashed at passersby with a knife. An investigation has been opened for “murder and attempted murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise”.
On Wednesday, French police launched a national appeal for information about Chekatt, described as a “dangerous individual”. More than 700 security forces had been mobilised to hunt for the suspected gunman and France had upgraded its security level to the highest possible.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Castaner announced the Christmas market, which attracts millions of visitors, would reopen under high security on Friday.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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