Shooting at a Jewish school in France

Paris (CNN) -- A gunman opened fire on a Jewish school in southern France Monday, killing four people -- the third shooting of ethnic minority people in the region in the past 10 days.

The gunman pulled up in front of Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse just before 8 a.m. and started shooting, authorities said.

The victims included a teacher at the school and his two children. A 3-year-old child was also among the dead, and a 17-year-old was wounded, local prosecutor Michael Valet said.

The gunman got close enough to his victims to shoot them in the head, local journalist Gil Bousquet said.

Families hugged and wept in front of police cars around the school in the aftermath of the shooting, pictures from the scene showed.

Casualties in French school shooting
Ambulances and police vans lined the narrow streets of the city, and a helicopter circled overhead as police on foot made their way through the small crowd of shocked locals to get to the building.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew to the school, where he declared that "everything must be done so the killer is arrested."

"And of course our thoughts are with these families that are shattered -- a mother who has lost her husband and her two children the same day, the director of the school saw a little girl die before his eyes," Sarkozy said in a somber appearance at the entrance to the school.

He called for a minute's silence in schools across the country in response to the "national tragedy."

The gunman wore a motorcycle helmet and fled on a motor scooter after the shootings, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said -- the same method used in the shootings of soldiers on March 11 and 15.

Those soldiers were all of North African origin, Brandet said.

"It's a horrible tragedy," Brandet said of Monday's shootings.

"Even if it's too early to say whether or not they are the same weapons, there are similarities," Brandet said, citing the use of a motorcycle and the location of the killings.

Ballistics tests will help determine whether the same guns were used in all three shootings, he said, speaking on CNN affiliate BFM.

Prosecutors in Paris have opened an investigation into all three shootings under anti-terrorism powers.

The interior ministry has ordered police across the country to contact Jewish organizations to arrange increased vigilance, Brandet said.

France, which has one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe, had 389 reported acts of anti-Semitism in 2011, according to Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, known in French as CRIF.

Its head, Richard Prasquier, and Minister of Education Luc Chatel accompanied Sarkozy to Toulouse.

The news of Monday's shooting brought immediate reaction from the Jewish world.

"We follow with shock the news coming from France, and we trust the French authorities to shed full light on this crime and to bring those responsible to justice," said Yigal Palmor, the spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry.

Gilles Bernheim, the chief rabbi of France, said he was "horrified" and "upset."

Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt said on behalf of the Conference of European Rabbis that "the thoughts of Jewish communities across Europe will be with the families of the victims."

Presidential candidate Francois Hollande said he felt "horror" at the killing.

On March 11, a soldier was on his motorbike when a helmeted man on another motorcycle pulled up and shot and killed him, Toulouse police Capt. David Delattre said.

The soldier was not in uniform, and his motorbike did not have any military identification, Delattre said.

On Thursday, two other soldiers were shot dead and another injured by a black-clad man wearing a motorcycle helmet in the southwestern French city of Montauban, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Toulouse.

CNN's Dheepthi Namasivayam contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/world/europe/france-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Last edited by Ruchel on Mon, Mar 19 2012, 4:59 am; edited 1 time in total

PLEASE DAVEN FOR:
Aharon Bijaoui
Yonatan & Gavriel Sandler
Miriami ben Yaakov
gabriel issakhar ben hava malka

Miriam bat Yaffa the daughter of the rav Monsonego (the rebbe)
The rebbe is reported to be niftar... as well as a 6 yr old girl and a little boy LO ALENU

I have good hope the lunatic will be found as he also targets the French military so that makes an extra motivation...
_________________

"You will have many many children and make successful shidduchim beh", rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
"It's all cultural, disagree respectfully", me

davening for them...

this is really scary.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153903#.T2b2HfXpk6I

BDE Crying or Very sad

Hashem yikom damam.

Gabriel ben Yonathan, Myriam bat Yaakov, Yonathan ben Avraham & Chai Nissim ben Aziza!!!
Aharon ben Esther

Rabbi deceased is a professor. This is Jonathan Sandler but this was not the director (Mr. Monsonego).
The daughter of the director is gone and the son of the rev sandler.
Children who died 5 and 6 years with their father and waited for a bus to go to Gan Rashi.
The seriously injured were the daughter of the director and a schoolboy of 17 years (life in danger).

yes they are wounded, but there is so much confusion

Of course! it's better than nothing

The daughter of the rebbe Miriam would be deceased?? but nothing is certain

Actualit� Juive journalist said 5 dead: 3, 6, 7 yr old, rav Sandler and a 30 yr old father. Many wounded including a 17 yr old in life danger.

Gold Member Joined: Jun 01 2009 Posts: 2375

This is terrible. I really have no words. BDE and may the wounded have a complete and speedy recovery. I hope the murderer is caught along with anyone else involved. May this be the end to all our pain with the coming of Moshiach!

Dear G-d.

Ruchel, please keep us updated.
_________________
"We don't have kids. We raise them."

http://www.jerusalemstoned.blogspot.com/

Active Poster Joined: Apr 16 2010 Posts: 37

Miriam, the daughter of rav Monsonego is deceased. Baruch Dayan haEmet

So heartbreaking.

Executive Member Joined: Nov 04 2008 Posts: 335

Anyone have names for Tehillim for the children who are 'in life-threatening' injuries? (Online news describes a few 6-8 year olds who are fighting for their lives)

are they increasing security at all Jewish schools, or just the ones in toulouse?

refuah shleima to all the injured, and I hope they catch the killer soon.

Active Poster Joined: Mar 18 2012 Posts: 77

Terrible!

Moderator Joined: Dec 18 2008 Posts: 3653

Refuah sheleimah to the injured. And Hy"d.

So very sad... and frightening. Hy"d.

Refuah shaleima to the injured.
_________________
We're hard at work on the 2014 Balabusta's Daily Organizer. I'm still looking for a good cover pic so no photo right now!

~Paid ad~

BDE, may Hashem avenge the blood of these innocent victims. Aside from the horror, this is so, so scary.