Overview
- A 35-year-old man was arrested after a roughly 35-minute drive in which he deliberately struck pedestrians and cyclists across Dolus-d’Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron starting around 8:40 a.m. from La Cotinière.
- Five people were injured, including two in critical condition, and one victim is a 22-year-old parliamentary assistant to a Rassemblement National deputy, according to the party’s vice president.
- The suspect’s car was found burned near his home with a gas canister inside, and he shouted “Allah Akbar” at the time of his arrest, the La Rochelle prosecutor’s office said.
- The national anti-terror prosecutor has not taken over the case, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez visited the scene and said technical examinations, including phone data work and searches, are underway.
- Neighbors describe the suspect as unstable and marginalised with only minor prior offenses, and Europe 1 reports he told investigators he had recently discovered Islam and made incoherent statements.