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THE PERPETRATOR, WHO IS ON THE STATE’S ‘FICHÉ S’ WATCH LIST OF PEOPLE CONSIDERED TO POSE A POSSIBLE SECURITY RISK TO THE STATE, HAS BEEN ARRESTED. HE IS A FORMER STUDENT AT THE SCHOOL A

teacher has been killed and several other people injured in a knife attack at a school in northern France this morning (Friday, October 13), which authorities are calling a terrorist

incident. WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR? Early reports state that the attack took place at around 11:00 at the Lycée Gambetta in Arras (Pas-de-Calais). A literature teacher has been killed. Another

staff member was stabbed multiple times and is in a critical condition in hospital. Another teacher has also been taken to hospital with less serious wounds. No students were injured. Staff

and students were locked down in their classrooms after the perpetrator began the attack. Just after 12:30, the national anti-terrorist unit - _le Parquet national antiterroriste_ - took

over the investigation. It has opened an inquiry on charges of “murder in connection with a terrorist undertaking”, “attempted murder in connection with a terrorist undertaking”, and

“terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing crimes against persons”. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PERPETRATOR? The suspected perpetrator - thought to be a former student of the

school - has been arrested. He was reportedly shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. He is aged 20. Born in Russia, he is believed to be of Chechen origin. He is ‘_fiché S_’. This means

that he is known to authorities and was on a ‘watch list’ of people considered to pose a possible security risk to the state. The ‘S’ stands for sûreté d’Etat (state safety). Those who are

_fiché S_ have not yet attempted a crime related to the reason for their listing, but being added to the list helps authorities to gather information on their actions and whereabouts.

However, being fiché S alone is not enough to order an arrest. READ MORE: WHAT DOES THE TERM ‘FICHE S’ MEAN? The perpetrator’s brother has also been arrested. Interior Minister Gérald

Darmanin wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “A police operation has taken place at the Lycée Gambetta in Arras. The perpetrator was arrested by the police.” > Une opération de police a eu 

lieu au lycée Gambetta à Arras. > L’auteur des faits a été interpellé par la police. > — Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) October 13, 2023 WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE SO FAR? President

Emmanuel Macron visited the site along with Xavier Bertrand, president of the Ile-de-France region. He wrote on X: “All my support to the students, teachers and staff of the Hauts-de-France

region after the appalling knife attack at the Lycée Gambetta in Arras. I'm on my way to the scene.” > Tout mon soutien aux lycéens, aux enseignants et aux agents de la > Région 

@hautsdefrance après l’effroyable attaque au couteau au > lycée Gambetta d’Arras. Je me rends sur place. > — Xavier Bertrand (@xavierbertrand) October 13, 2023 Prime Minister Elisabeth

Borne has announced that she has cancelled her planned visit to Orléans, and will be returning to Paris to address the incident. The National Education Minister, Gabriel Attal, demanded

more security for schools. "We must lose no time in implementing every measure possible to reinforce security in all schools," he said in a communique to regional prefects. A

crisis centre offering medical and psychological support to all of the school’s personnel and students has been opened. Another crisis centre has also been opened by the Arras Mairie.

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