Stabbing at French high school leaves 1 dead, 3 injured

A 15-year-old student fatally stabbed one classmate and injured three others in a knife attack at a private Catholic high school in Nantes, France, according to officials and local media. The suspect was arrested at the scene.

The attack occurred just after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides, a private school complex with nearly 2,000 students.

According to BFMTV, the teenager first went to the second floor of the school where he stabbed a female student who later died from her injuries. He then moved downstairs and attacked three other students, one of whom remains in critical condition.

The suspect was restrained by faculty members before police arrived. He was reportedly carrying two knives—a hunting knife and a folding knife—and had a fake airsoft gun in his backpack. He wore black pants, safety shoes, and had partially concealed his face with a dark cloth, a helmet, and sunglasses, BFMTV reported.

Shortly before the attack, the suspect sent an email to all students containing a 13-page document titled “Immune Action.” The manifesto denounced globalization, “systemic violence,” and “totalitarian social conditioning,” and included references to historical art and philosophical themes.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences in a statement, praising the actions of teachers who “undoubtedly prevented further tragedies.” Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland also issued a message of support, calling the event an “atrocious tragedy.”