Angoulême: a man sets fire to the town hall, deminers mobilized

A man broke into the town hall of Angouleme me with a can of gasoline to set it on fire this Wednesday, August 21, 2024. The suspect été neutralized while a police and rescue operation is underway.

A man tried to set fire to the Angoulême town hall this Wednesday, August 21 at midday. The individual entered the building armed with a can of gasoline and “headed towards the office of the elected officials” reports a witness to the Charente Libre. The suspect was, however, neutralized by the police after city hall employees raised the alarm. The municipal police officers, already present on the scene, had to use a firearm to stop the arsonist and injured him. The man was taken care of and evacuated by emergency services. Apart from the suspect, no one was injured. The Interior Minister who resigned, Gérald Darmanin expressed his support for the mayor of Angoulême.

The incident took place around 12:30 p.m.: the suspect parked his vehicle in front of the town hall before entering the building where he spilled gasoline. Witnesses employed at the town hall described a “man in military fatigues, quite strong, with a can” and indicated that “the fire alarm went off less than five minutes after” his arrival. “There was smoke from the side of the elected officials' building and we heard gunshots, without knowing if it came from the police or the man in military uniform” witnesses added to La Charente Libre.

A suspect “unknown to the police”

An investigation has been opened, announced the prefect of Charente, Jérôme Harnois, in a press briefing early in the afternoon. The suspect is a 46-year-old man of French nationality and “completely unknown to the specialist services,” he said. According to the sequence of events, the police were on site when they were alerted by the assistants who witnessed the scene and first tried to “subdue the individual with a tonfa, and given the virulence of the individual, used their firearm several times”. As for the fire that broke out in the Angoulême town hall, it was “quickly” brought under control according to the prefect of Charente and the mayor of Angoulême, Xavier Bonnefont.

The mine clearers on site

The neutralized individual's vehicle is still parked in front of the town hall. According to the local newspaper, Arabic inscriptions repeating the prayer for the dead are visible. Bomb disposal experts are expected on site to inspect the vehicle and the surrounding area. A major police operation is also underway in downtown Angoulême and the town hall has been evacuated. The area around the building is cordoned off and residents are asked to avoid the area. The mayor of Angoulême has specified that the “security perimeter is maintained around the town hall” until “further notice”.

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Latest updates

16:35 – The suspect was behaving strangely this morning according to neighbors

According to several neighbors of the assailant who tried to set fire to the Angoulême town hall contacted by Charente Libre, the suspect “was not his usual self” this Wednesday. “He came down like a madman, with spray paint in his hands,” noted a local resident. The man moved into his home on Place Hildesheim last fall and had cordial relations with his neighbors. Several people say they saw him “particularly angry” according to the local newspaper

15:45 – Four offices affected by the fire.. Details from the mayor of Angoulême

At least two assistants of elected officials were present in the town hall of Angoulême, and more particularly in the office targeted by the attacker, during the assault on the building at midday. According to the mayor of the city, the employees described the “black look” of the assailant. The mayor re-examined the sequence of events on Franceinfo and indicated that the man, although he did not cause any injuries, did indeed spread gasoline in the premises despite the presence of employees and managed to start a fire that affected four offices of the town hall.

15:41 – The suspect “forced his way” into Angoulême town hall

According to the mayor (Horizons) of Angoulême, Xavier Bonnefont, the man who set fire to the town hall “managed to enter [the premises] by forcing its way in”.

15:24 – An employee of the Angoulême town hall could be the suspect's target

The assailant who set fire to the Angoulême town hall is said to have targeted in particular one of the two assistants from the elected officials' office present at the time of the incident, according to La Charente Libre, which also suggests a “family dispute”. according to initial evidence. The suspect's motives are still unclear at this time.

15:13 – The vital prognosis of the suspect involved

Only the man who set fire to the Angoulême town hall was injured. The fire, which was quickly brought under control, caused no casualties, but the suspect was hit by police gunfire before being arrested. Faced with the “virulence” of the man, the municipal police opened fire, the prefect of Charente said during a press briefing. According to information from franceinfo, the suspect was taken care of and hospitalized, but his life is in danger.

15:08 – A search of the suspect's home

The suspect of French nationality is 46 years old and is not known to the police, the prefect of Charente said. An investigation has been opened after the attempt to set fire to Angoulême town hall and a search of the individual's home is carried out, reports BFMTV. His vehicle, parked in front of the town hall, must be inspected by bomb disposal experts.