French Killer dies in police standoff

Interior Minister Claude Gueant said the 24-year-old died after jumping out the window while still shooting.

Merah made the decision after a gunfire exchange between the suspect and RAID special police forces, who tightened the noose around him in the bathroom.

“When a means of investigation (such as a mirror or camera) was introduced into the bathroom, the killer came out from the bathroom shooting very violently. The bursts of gunfire were frequent and hard,” Gueant said.

“RAID officers of course tried to protect themselves, to return fire, and then in the end, Mohamed Merah jumped out of the window with a gun in his hand, continuing to fire. He was found dead on the ground,” he added.

Merah’s flat, reportedly only one floor above the ground floor, was under a police siege for over 30 hours, with journalists kept at a distance.

The man is suspected of killing a rabbi and his 3-year-old and 6-year-old sons in a shooting spree at a Jewish school in Toulouse. The 10-year-old daughter of the school’s principal was killed in the incident that left a fifth person injured.

The French police linked the attack to two other shootings last week, in which three soldiers of North African or Caribbean descent were killed.

Police sources say a same gun has been used in all the attacks and that the modus operandi of the killings indicates military training.

MRS/JR

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes