REPLAY. Fire in front of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte: suspect questioned, testimony of the injured police officer… a look back at the day

Le suspect devrait être auditionné lundi. DR

On the evening of Saturday, August 24, 2024, the alleged perpetrator of the anti-Semitic attack at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte was arrested in the Pissevin district of Nîmes. Two people from his entourage were also arrested. An update on the situation this Sunday. 

The essentials 

Hunted by more than 200 police officers, the man suspected of being behind the fire at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte this Saturday morning was arrested by the police in the evening in Nîmes. Before the police intervened, the suspect fired on the intervention column, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office said in a press release. The latter returned fire and the man was injured in the face. His life is not in danger. The main suspect is said to be 33 years old and of Algerian nationality. His name: El Hussein Khenfri. He is said to have acted alone. According to the Pnat, two people from his entourage were taken into custody. The municipal police officer who was injured during the attack on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte testified to Midi Libre. 9:42 p.m. < h2 class="live-post__title" > End of live

< p class="live-post__primer" > This live broadcast is over. Thank you for following it with Midi Libre.

8:30 p.m.

Suspect questioned

The main suspect in the attack on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte was questioned by the police this Sunday. But the hearing was brief due to the individual's state of health, reports BFMTV .

“We don't know when he will be able to be questioned” , added Gérald Darmanin on France 2 .

8:26 p.m.

“+ 200% increase”

The Minister of the Interior was present at the 8 p.m. news on France 2 this Sunday. Gérald Darmanin announced a “very significant increase” in these acts in the first half of 2024, mentioning “+ 200% increase” .

Gérald Darmanin donne des explications sur l'incendie de la synagogue et sur le profil du criminel interpelé. Il revient également sur l'augmentation des actes antisémites.#JT20h pic.twitter.com/Ex2qdY5Ts5

— Info France 2 (@infofrance2) August 25, 2024

“Two-thirds of anti-religious acts concern Jews” , he specified.

7:08 p.m.

Testimony of the injured police officer

“I tell myself that I saw death up close. On the one hand, because I had lucky that the wall protected me. And on the other hand, because I had left the enclosure looking for a fire hydrant when it exploded” , testifies the police officer injured during the fire at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte this Saturday morning.

The article can be found in its entirety here .

17:56.

Father of a child

The 33-year-old man is the father of a young child, who currently lives with his mother.

The child was born in France and it was he who allowed El Hussein Khenfri to obtain French nationality.

17:46.

A squatted apartment

The suspect was arrested on Saturday evening in the same tower where little Fayed, 10, lived, shot dead a year ago. an in the Pissevin district of Nîmes.

El Hussein Khenfri was not staying with friends in this building, but was squatting in an unoccupied apartment in a tower in La Garrigado with one or two people , we learned this Sunday.

5:38 p.m.

The suspect attended the neighborhood mosque in Nîmes

El Hussein Khenfri, the man arrested and suspected of being the author of the fire at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, attended the mosque in the Pissevin neighborhood in Nîmes, the Mosque of Peace, a few years ago.

But the individual created a lot of problems with the faithful. He was therefore asked not to come to the place of worship following several incidents. It should be noted that the thirty-year-old was making incoherent remarks in states suggesting drug use.

3:23 p.m.

The suspect's car burned in La Grande-Motte

A little over 24 hours after the attack on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, the investigation continues as the suspect was arrested in Nîmes in the evening. The accused's car was not recovered in the Gard town but was one of the two vehicles that were on fire under the H2O building.

What were the real intentions and motivations of the individual arrested? For the time being, the investigations are continuing.

2:05 p.m.

The united Catholic community

“To touch the Jewish community is to touch ours as well,” declared Mgr Turini, the Archbishop of Montpellier, to Midi Libre. “This unworthy act must be condemned with the greatest firmness, hammers Norbert Turini. It will never prevent the continuation of our dialogue of friendship for peace and justice with the Jewish community. We remain united.”

13h28.

The suspect is El Hussein Khenfri, his identity confirmed by the police

The suspect, a 33-year-old Algerian in a regular situation, is called El Hussein Khenfri. His identity was confirmed to Midi Libre by concordant police sources.

12h43.

The suspect arrested in the tower where little Fayed lived

According to our information, the suspect was arrested in Nîmes, at 64 rue Weber, at the Wagner gallery in the Pissevin district. He was in the tower where little Fayed, killed a year ago, lived. In the area, there are about a hundred individuals listed as S.

The area where the suspect was arrested. MIKAEL ANISSET 11:26.

A surgical operation before a hearing on Monday ?

Hospitalized under a false name and under surveillance in Nîmes at the Carémeau hospital, the suspect could, according to our information, undergo a surgical operation at the end of the day. He should then return to Paris with the anti-terrorism police to be questioned from this Monday.

11:00 a.m.

An axe found not far from the synagogue

According to our information, an axe with Arabic inscriptions was found very close to the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte.

10:53 a.m.

The main suspect has not been questioned at this time

Due to his injuries, the main suspect who is currently in police custody could not be questioned at this time.

10:44.

Four people arrested

In addition to the main suspect and the two people in his entourage, a fourth arrest took place, according to a source close to the investigation cited by our colleagues. All are in police custody.

09:43.

The suspect's profile is emerging

Having arrived in France about ten years ago, the suspect has lived in La Grande-Motte and Nîmes, indicates BFMTV . According to our colleagues, he is in a regular situation and has had a child since his arrival in the south of the country. He is reportedly known to the police for drug use, but is not known to the intelligence services.

09:03.

The suspect is said to have acted alone

While two people from his entourage were also arrested, the suspect is said to have acted alone and set fire to his own car, according to information from BFMTV.

08:52.

A demonstration planned for this Tuesday

Following the attack on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, a citizen demonstration is being organized by the Crif Languedoc Roussillon, this Tuesday, August 27 at 6 p.m., on the Place de la Comédie in Montpellier.

08:17.

The suspect injured in the arm

According to our information, the suspect was also shot in the arm. His life is not in danger.

08:16.

The suspect was located in Pissevin

According to our information, the thirty-year-old had his cell phone on him, which allowed the BRI 13, the BRI 34 and the Raid 13 to locate the suspect in the Nîmes Pissevin district before his arrest at the end of the evening.

07:33.

Gérald Darmanin welcomes the intervention of the Raid

On his X account, the Minister of the Interior praised last night “the police forces who intervened with great professionalism despite the gunfire” .

L’auteur supposé de l’incendie criminel de la synagogue a été interpellé. Merci aux effectifs des forces de l’ordre, et principalement du RAID, qui sont intervenus avec beaucoup de professionnalisme malgré ses coups de feu.

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 24, 2024

07:27.

A 33-year-old man of Algerian nationality

According to BFMTV, the main suspect is a thirty-year-old of Algerian nationality.

07h22.

Two other people were arrested

In its press release published on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office specified that “two people from his entourage were taken into custody”. The investigation must now continue and establish ” the conditions of the preparation of his acts and his escape “.

07:21.

A 15-hour escape

As a reminder, the suspect acted with his face uncovered. His actions had been captured by video surveillance cameras. At the time of the events, he was wearing a Palestinian flag on his belt, from which what appeared to be the butt of a handgun protruded. He had a red keffiyeh on his head and was holding a plastic water bottle filled with a yellowish liquid in each hand. His escape lasted 15 hours.

07:16.

An arrest at the end of the evening

The intervention took place in the Pissevin district of Nîmes at around 11:35 p.m. and the suspect, who “opened fire on the intervention column” , was “wounded in the face“, detailed the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, without specifying the seriousness of these injuries.

07h11.

Welcome to this live broadcast

Hello and welcome to this live broadcast. Find all the latest information throughout the day on this anti-Semitic attack in La Grande-Motte.