Disturbing video shows the suspect running around the lakeside park with a knife, appearing to attack one child in a stroller; the youngest victim is just 22 months old.
Four children and two adults were injured during a horrific stabbing on Thursday while playing at a lakeside playground in the French Alps.
A 31-year-old Syrian man with refugee status in Sweden whose name has not been publicly released was arrested in Annecy, France following the stabbing spree, which was captured on disturbing video. According to the AP, a prosecutor working on the investigation said the incident did not appear to be terrorism-related.
The video, too disturbing to post here, shows the man running around the playground brandishing a knife while taking swipes at a number of screaming adults and children … including one inside a stroller. He reportedly shouted the name “Jesus Christ” at one point during the attack, before he was eventually overpowered and apprehended by police, per to the BBC.
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The lead prosecutor on the case, Line Bonnet-Mathis, said four children aged 22 months to 3-years-old were injured in the attack; at least two of them are in critical condition, while the other two were “slightly hurt.”
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne reportedly said the suspect has no criminal or psychiatric record and is father to a child around the same age as some of the victims. He recently relocated to France without his wife or 3-year-old daughter.
Two adults also suffered knife wounds; one of them was also injured by a shot fired by police arresting the suspect.
On Twitter, French President Emmanual Macron called the incident an “attack of absolute cowardice,” saying the whole nation was in “shock.” He added that his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones, before sharing his appreciation for the first responders.
Attaque d’une lâcheté absolue ce matin dans un parc à Annecy. Des enfants et un adulte sont entre la vie et la mort. La Nation est sous le choc. Nos pensées les accompagnent ainsi que leurs familles et les secours mobilisés.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 8, 2023
@EmmanuelMacron
