Gunman Surrenders After Taking Hostages At French School

[News_Editor]

Gunman surrenders after taking hostages at French school < br />

2012-07-12 04:02:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

PARIS, FRANCE (BNO NEWS) -- A hostage crisis at a school near the French capital of Paris ended safely on Tuesday with the release of all hostages and the arrest of the gunmen, local authorities said.

The incident began Tuesday morning at around 7:30 a.m. local time at the Charles Perrault School in Vitry-sur-Seine, a suburb located approximately 7.5 kilometers (5 miles) southeast of downtown Paris. The gunman, who is reportedly a former soldier, took a group of children and three adults hostage on school grounds, where a summer camp had been taking place.

The children were freed soon after the incident began, and only one parent remained hostage for several hours before being released. French police continued negotiations until he walked out and surrendered, bringing the crisis to an end at around 11:30 a.m. local time with no one reported injured.

Few details were available regarding the gunmen, but reports indicate that the man is in his 30s and was carrying a self-defense automatic weapon that fires gas cartridges and cannot kill people. Authorities said the hostage-taker was likely carrying out a suicide attempt in the hopes of being shot and killed by police.

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