Man suspected of setting synagogue on fire shot and killed by French police

The French police shot and killed a man who had a knife and a metal bar. He is suspected of starting a fire at a synagogue in the city of Rouen. This is the latest in a series of antisemitic acts happening in France during the Israel-Hamas war.

The fire department was told about a fire at the synagogue on Friday morning. The police officers found a man on the roof of a building holding a metal bar and a kitchen knife. There was smoke coming from the synagogue’s windows, according to Rouen prosecutor Frederic Teillet at a short press conference.

He said the man yelled mean things and threw a metal bar at the police. Then he jumped off the roof and ran at one of the officers with his knife up.

The police officer shot the man five times, hitting him four times and causing deadly injuries, according to the prosecutor. He said the police are trying to make sure who the man really is. The prosecutor did not answer any questions.

Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on a social media site that the man clearly wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue.

He praised the officers for their quick action and bravery.

People in France are getting more and more upset and angry about the fighting between Israel and Hamas. Hate crimes against Jews and Muslims have increased in the country with the most Jewish and Muslim people in western Europe.

The mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, said that it is believed that a man climbed onto a trash container and threw a homemade explosive into the synagogue, which started a fire and caused a lot of damage.

“When the Jewish community is hurt, it hurts all of us. It hurts France and it hurts all the people who live here,” he said.

“It scares the entire country,” he said.

The Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, said that there has been a big increase in antisemitic acts in France after the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. And this is still happening this year.

Officials recorded 366 incidents of antisemitism in the first three months of 2024, which is a 300% increase from the same time last year, according to Attal. There were over 1,200 antisemitic acts in the last three months of 2023, which was three times more than in all of 2022.

“He said there is a lot of hate spreading. “