TOULOUSE, France – A gunman on a motorcycle opened fire in front of a French Jewish school on Monday, killing a rabbi and three children. According to police in France, the same gun was also used in two other attacks last week.
The latest shooting occurred at Ozar Hatorah junior high school and high school, which is located in a quiet residential neighborhood, reports the Associated Press. A 30-year-old rabbi who worked at the school, his two young sons and another child were killed in the attack. A 17-year-old boy is in the hospital and is in critical condition, reports the Wall Streeet Journal.
There are concerns that today’s and last week’s attacks are the work of a terrorist or a serial killer. The victims of last week’s shootings were of North African and French Caribbean descent.
Police are trying to track down the suspect, who was riding when he opened fire on the school. Video surveillance cameras captured the scooter’s license plate number.
In response to the shooting, Kathy Manning, chair of Jewish Federations of North America’s Board of trustees stated, “We at Jewish Federations are devastated by the terrible news of an attack on Jewish school children in France. We send our deep and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. At the same time, we embrace the entire Jewish community of France and stand with them at this very difficult and tragic time.”
Jewish communities across the globe, including in North America, are stepping up their security procedures. In Israel, the Knesset Aliyah and Absorption Committee (which also has responsibility for international Jewish communities) will meet in emergency session tomorrow, and JFNA Israel will be in attendance.
“Because of terrorist attacks on Jewish schools and school buses starting with a deadly attack in Avivim Israel in 1958, which left nine dead and 19 more disabled for life, security at Jewish schools around the world is usually very good,” says Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International. “Though the school safety efforts in schools in Israel and Jewish schools in other countries have not always been able to prevent acts of violence, they have been effective in averting a number of planned attacks over the years. This terrible attack clearly shows the need for such high levels of security at Jewish schools while also having implications for schools in the United States. ”
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