Suspect in France school attack described as loner who admired Hitler

The 16-year-old accused of stabbing his classmates at a secondary school in western France, killing one student, has been described by those who knew him as a loner who admired Adolf Hitler, a public prosecutor said on Friday.

The knife attack took place on Thursday at a private Catholic school in the city of Nantes. A 16-year-old girl was killed by the suspect, and two other students, aged 15 and 16, were injured.

The teen did not give any reasons for his actions after his arrest on Thursday and has been temporarily admitted to a psychiatric ward, said Nantes public prosecutor Antoine Leroy.

He said the attacker attended classes as usual that morning before arming himself with a hunting knife and putting on a mask in a school bathroom around midday.

He then entered a classroom and fatally stabbed the girl – who was said to have been the only peer with whom he had a positive relationship — 57 times. He then went on to randomly attack other students in a separate classroom.

The rampage was stopped by a school IT technician who entered the room and struck the attacker with a chair, then held him at bay until police arrived.

Leroy said the teenager had no prior contact with law enforcement.

However, his mother had sought help earlier this year for his increasing social isolation, and he had attended six sessions at a counselling centre, he said.

School officials had also raised concerns over his admiration for Hitler, prompting a meeting with school management and his mother earlier this month.

On Friday, students and members of the public laid flowers outside the school in tribute to the slain girl.