It has become almost an everyday event in France. Early Saturday morning, in the western city of Angers, a dispute broke out between a group of young Wallisiens (from the French Polynesian island of Wallis) and a Sudanese man. The cause of the dispute is not clear. It may have had something to do with the music the group of youths was playing, or according to some witnesses, the Sudanese man had tried to make advances on one or more of the girls in the group. At any rate, when it was over, three of the young men, aged 16, 18, and 20, had been stabbed to death. The Sudanese man is in custody.
Police and emergency responders were hit with a barrage of bottles and cans by a large crowd as they attempted to render first aid.
The below article in Ouest France/Courrier, a local news outlet, is translated by Fousesquawk.
In addition, the website, Allah's Willing Executioners, also has a report with videos of the immediate aftermath of the incident including the chase of the suspect.
Murder in Angers. Three Dead, a suspect arrested, troubling circumstances: What we know
Three young persons were mortally stabbed during the night of July 15-16 in Angers (Maine-et-Loire) A suspect was arrested and placed in custody. For now, the circumstances of the incident remain unclear. The case has been assigned to the Security Department of Angers.
Three persons are dead after having been stabbed in the thorax during the night of Friday, the 15th- Saturday, the 16th of July on the Coeur de Maine Esplanade in Angers. Three other persons were slightly injured.
Who are the deceased victims?
The three young persons who were fatally stabbed are ages 16, 18, and 20. According to our colleague in Oeste France, these three victims are named Ismael, Manuolito, and Atama and were part of the Wallisian community (French Polynesian). They each received a knife blow to the thorax and succumbed to their wounds.
Who is the suspect?
He is a man, aged 32, and originally from Sudan. "He is also in regular status in France and unknown to the (police)," confirmed M. Bouillard to our colleagues at Parisien. Captured by people present at the scene of the incident, then by municipal police, he is currently hospitalized and in custody but not in a condition to speak at the moment.
What happened?
The circumstances of the incident are not yet clear. In a statement transmitted to the press, Prosecutor Bouillard presented the initial elements of the case. "On 16 July at 2:50 am, Angers police responded to an altercation taking place in the Coeur de Maine sector of Angers. At the scene, they found a large and sometimes aggressive crowd, throwing projectiles at the responding personnel. Victims each of a knife blow to the thorax, three persons in a condition of cardio-respiratory arrest were treated by emergency personnel. Unfortunately, they quickly died. Pending future developments in the case, it appears an initial altercation took place around 1 am. Run off by the victims' group, the defendant reportedly returned later armed in order to attack them.
Why did the killer stab?
On this point, two hypotheses are raised by the witnesses. The first is that the suspect was bothered by the young people's music. The second would be connected to sexual aggressions that the suspect might have made on one or several of the young females present this evening. The case, assigned to the Security Department of Angers, should clarify this point.
Why did the emergency response go badly?
The police response took place in a very hostile climate, while about 200 persons were still present at the scene. Contacted by Courrier de L'Ouest, Jeanne Behre-Robinson, deputy mayor of Angers in charge of Security and Prevention, indicated having, "a lot of difficulty" understanding these actions." As they were responding to Coeur de Maine to provide first aid, they were hit in the head with glass bottles and cans. Same thing with the firefighters. I am really shocked." She explains that the throwing of projectiles continued as the emergency personnel were performing CPR on the victims. The Coeur de Maine Esplanade is closed since Saturday morning until further notice.
Was there a "hiccup" with the National Police?
This is what several witnesses are claiming. "Between midnight and three in the morning, I called 7 times to the police station. I wanted to tell the police that tensions were mounting. But nobody picked up the phone," one of them says, who wanted to remain anonymous. "Then I wound up calling 17. I dialed it three times, (and) I waited until the line cut off. I never got ahold of anyone," he adds. Meanwhile, around 2:45 am, the couple heard (someone shout) "Murderer!" several times. Then, "a girl cried out, 'Oh no, Oh no, not that!" We heard it distinctly," this witness says. Contacted by Le Courrier de l'Ouest, the director of the Department of Public Security indicated that, "these elements are being verified to find out the reality of the facts.
What reactions in the political world?
Christophe Bechu, former mayor of Angers, currently minister of ecological translation, expressed his fear and sadness on Twitter. "My thoughts go out to the victims' families. I thank the municipal and national police as well as the emergency personnel who responded to the scene."
Several deputies and senators from Maine-et-Loire, as well as municipal counselors, have equally reacted.
As for the president of the Rassemblement National (party), Marine Le Pen, she noted on Twitter, "What happened yesterday in Angers is a tragedy, and I am moved for the relatives of the victims. How long are we going to allow our youth to be killed?"
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