A high school student was arrested on charges of stabbing a teacher to death in front of other students Wednesday in a classroom in southwestern France, according to officials and news reports. An investigation into suspected premeditated homicide has been launched in the incident, which happened at a private Catholic school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bayonne prosecutor Jerome Bourrier said. He added that investigators were able to question the suspect last night.
The police and judicial services had no prior knowledge of the student, said Bourriier, who declined to go into more detail because it was an open investigation.
Minute of silence
Education Minister Pap Ndiaye traveled to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and said a minute of silence will be held in all French schools on Thursday at 3pm.
He said that a psychological unit is treating about 90 students, including those who witnessed the attack, and some teachers.
The first data provided by the police indicate that the attacker suffers from serious mental disorders, an official reported on condition of anonymity.
According to press reports, the student born in 2007 said he heard voices ordering him to kill the 53-year-old Spanish teacher.