TOULOUSE, France — A 23-year-old Frenchman who claimed responsibility for killing four men and three children was shot dead Thursday as security forces stormed the apartment where he had been holed up for more than 30 hours, French officials said.
Francois Molins, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the suspect, identified as Mohammed Merah, was shot in the head as he jumped out a window, firing wildly at the assault force.
Just before noon, officers entered the apartment through a front door and windows that had been blasted out, Claude Gueant, the French interior minister, said. Inside the apartment, Merah emerged from a bathroom “firing with extreme violence,” Gueant said.
“At the end, Mohammed Merah jumped out a window with a weapon in his hand, still firing,” he said. “He was found dead on the ground.”
More than 300 rounds were discharged in the firefight, Gueant said, and two officers were lightly wounded.
French government ministers had said that they hoped to take him alive.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Thank you for coming to the website of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.