The Bordeaux knife attacker had already attacked two other people before his attack, which left one dead and one seriously injured – probably because they had drunk alcohol.
A few minutes before the fatal attack in the southwestern French city, the perpetrator attacked two people on Wednesday evening because they were drinking rosé wine on the last day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said prosecutor Frédérique Porterie in Bordeaux.
According to a fingerprint comparison, the attacker shot by the police was a 25-year-old from Afghanistan. “No element points to a terrorist act,” said the prosecutor. The Paris anti-terrorism public prosecutor’s office is supporting the ongoing investigations.
Attacker stabbed victim because of alcohol consumption
In his first attack, the perpetrator pulled out a knife after several blows and asked the two wine drinkers to fight, but then walked away. Minutes later, near the busy bank of the Garonne, he attacked two Algerians who were also drinking alcohol.
According to the prosecutor, the 37-year-old victim died from nine stab wounds. His seriously injured 26-year-old companion was said to be out of danger after an emergency operation. The two homeless victims come from the same town in Algeria.
The perpetrator had a large hunting knife with him and, according to witness statements, was wearing a robe and a headscarf, which is also used by men in the Arab world, in which only the eyes can be seen through a slit. To witnesses, the attacker appeared to be a devout Muslim.
Police shot the perpetrator with an assault rifle
When police caught the perpetrator just a few minutes after the attack, he aggressively approached the officers with his knife from a few meters away. One of the officers then shot the man with an assault rifle that he had on hand as a service weapon, Porterie said. The officer acted in self-defense, but there are routine investigations into the police operation. President Emmanuel Macron praised the police officers’ quick response on Thursday and expressed his condolences for the victim of the attack.
France is currently on the highest terror alert level and there is an increased police presence. Armed patrols with military forces are also deployed in large cities and are equipped to eliminate possible attackers in the event of a threat.
