A man has been arrested after stabbing a teacher and a student at a school in southern France, police have said.
The suspect is understood to be a former student of the horticultural school in Antibes, near Cannes. Officers did not give any further details of his identity or motives.
Police are on the scene at the Campus Vert D’azur as investigations continue, but told French media the attacker had been arrested and was “no longer a threat”.
Three people were left injured by the attack, according to mayor Jean Leonetti, who said one was more seriously hurt than the other two but that none of the injuries amounted to an “absolute emergency”. French newspaper Le Monde has reported that the teacher was “seriously injured” while the student was “superficially injured”.
“A knife attack occurred today at the Azur Vert Campus in Antibes,” Mr Leonetti wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I firmly condemn this brutal assault, which unfortunately spares no territory in our country. Three people were injured, one more seriously, but none is in absolute emergency.
“The perpetrator was able to be subdued thanks to the remarkable composure of the school principal and the staff present. I express my full support to the victims and their loved ones. I thank the police officers and firefighters for their responsiveness and exemplary professionalism.”
Police were called to the school in the town of Antibes, in southeastern France, on Wednesday. The town lies between Cannes and Nice and is known for its old town, its 16th-century fortifications, and its luxury harbour.
France’s agriculture minister condemned the attack and said she would be visiting the scene “immediately”. In a post on X, she wrote: “A teacher and a student were brutally attacked in a horticultural high school in Antibes.
“I offer my full support to the victims, their loved ones, the students, and the entire educational community. I am heading to the scene immediately. The school must remain a republican sanctuary: violence has no place there and will never be tolerated.”
Alpes-Maritimes regional senator Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp said her thoughts were with the victims of the “terrible attack”.
“I extend my support to the staff and students of the Antibes horticultural high school,” she wrote on X. “My thoughts go to the teacher and the student, victims of this terrible attack.Thank you to the security forces for their responsiveness which enabled the arrest of the assailant.”
More to follow...
