French firefighters rally nationwide after colleague shot near Marseille
Fire stations across France held gatherings on Monday in solidarity with a firefighter critically wounded by gunfire while tackling a blaze near Marseille.
Update ·
The suspect, a 51-year-old man already known to police for violence and weapons offences, is being presented to prosecutors on suspicion of attempted murder of a public-service worker, arson and illegal weapons possession, judicial sources told Nice-Matin.
Firefighters at stations across France gathered on Monday in a show of solidarity after a 53-year-old colleague was critically wounded by a shotgun blast while responding to a fire near Marseille the previous day, French broadcaster France Televisions reported.
The firefighter, a professional based at the Pennes-Mirabeau fire station in the Bouches-du-Rhone, was hit in the chest on Sunday as he and colleagues worked to put out a fire, the broadcaster said. The suspect, a man in his fifties, had set fire to several of his own vehicles before opening fire with a shotgun on firefighters who arrived to tackle the blaze, it reported.
France's elite RAID police unit arrested the suspect the same day in a caravan, France Televisions reported. He was known to police for previous checks but had never been considered threatening, a neighbour who ran a nearby business told the broadcaster. The suspect is reported to suffer from psychological problems and was placed in police custody.
The wounded firefighter, a father of two, was taken to the emergency department of Marseille's Hopital Nord on Sunday evening. On Monday, Julien Marion, director-general of France's civil-security and crisis-management service, said the firefighter's condition had initially caused great concern but was improving, while urging continued caution.
At midday on Monday, firefighters' unions called gatherings at fire stations across France to express solidarity with their colleague and anger over the attack, France Televisions reported.
The suspect, a 51-year-old man already known to police and the courts for previous violence and weapons offences, was due to be presented to prosecutors on Tuesday, Nice-Matin reported, citing Le Figaro and BFMTV. Investigators are looking at possible charges of attempted murder of a person carrying out a public-service mission, destruction by dangerous means and illegal possession of a weapon. The man had told investigators he felt "persecuted", according to BFMTV, though that does not explain why he opened fire.
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What we know
- 1 outlet A 53-year-old firefighter from the Pennes-Mirabeau station was critically wounded by a shotgun blast while fighting a fire on Sunday.
- 1 outlet The suspect, a man in his fifties, had set fire to his own vehicles before shooting at firefighters; he was arrested the same day by France's RAID unit.
- 1 outlet Officials said on Monday the firefighter's condition was improving after initially causing great concern.
- 1 outlet Firefighters' unions called gatherings at stations across France on Monday in solidarity.
- 1 outlet The suspect was due to be presented to prosecutors on Tuesday over possible charges including attempted murder of a public-service worker, judicial sources told Nice-Matin.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
Attacks on firefighters while they respond to emergencies raise safety concerns for France's emergency services, and Monday's nationwide gatherings showed how seriously unions treated an attack on a colleague carrying out his duties.
Updates
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The suspect, a 51-year-old man already known to police for violence and weapons offences, is being presented to prosecutors on suspicion of attempted murder of a public-service worker, arson and illegal weapons possession, judicial sources told Nice-Matin.
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Sources
Reported by 1 reports from 1 independent outlets in 1 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Where did the attack happen?
- Near Marseille, at Les Pennes-Mirabeau in the Bouches-du-Rhone, where the firefighter was responding to a fire.
- Has a suspect been arrested?
- Yes. France's RAID police unit arrested a man in his fifties the same day.
This article was written with AI assistance from 1 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.