French police fatally shoot armed man trying to set fire to Rouen synagogue

French police on Friday shot dead an armed man who was trying to set fire to a synagogue in the northern city of Rouen.

“National police in Rouen neutralised early this morning an armed individual who clearly wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Police responded at 6:45 am (0445 GMT) to reports of “fire near the synagogue”, a police source said.

A source close to the case told AFP the man “was armed with a knife and an iron bar, he approached police, who fired. The individual died”

“It is not only the Jewish community that is affected. It is the entire city of Rouen that is bruised and in shock,” Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol wrote on X.

He made clear there were no other victims other than the attacker.

Two separate investigations have been opened, one into the fire at the synagogue and another into the circumstances of the death of the individual killed by the police … the man threatened a police officer with a knife and the latter used his service weapon Rouen prosecutors said.

Asked by AFP, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said that it is currently assessing whether it will take up the case.

“Tonight is the beginning of the Sabbath and it’s important to light the candles to show that we are not afraid,” Rouen’s chief Rabbi Chmouel Lubecki told BFMTV.

According to Livre Noir on X the dead would-be arsonist is an Algerian immigrant aged 29. He had received an OQTF, ie a notice to leave Fraince last year. So why was he still in the country?