PARIS — The brother of the man behind a deadly shooting rampage in France celebrated his martyr-like death and may have helped him, police and a lawyer said Saturday.
Counterterrorism authorities are expected to decide early Sunday whether to file preliminary charges against 30-year-old Abdelkader Merah, who has been under questioning for four days over killings in southern France that stunned the country and refocused attention on the threat of radical Muslim militants.
His brother Mohamed Merah died in a hail of gunfire Thursday after a standoff with police during which he claimed responsibility for attacks that killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers. Merah claimed allegiance to al-Qaida and told police he traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan for training.
The Merahs' mother was in police custody for three days before she was released late Friday.