Avignon Attack Not Terrorism: Prosecutor Cites Mental Health Issues

The 33-year-old aggressor, killed by the police, would be a person with poor mental health. "We are dealing more with the gesture of an unbalanced person," affirms the public prosecutor, relayed by Saphirnews.com, adding that the individual had psychiatric history and made confused statements during his attack.

To recall, a witness had called the police, indicating that an armed individual was threatening passers-by. Once on the scene, the police found themselves facing the aggressor who was rushing at them, his weapon pointed at them. They had to neutralize him. But "there were no injuries," a police source in Avignon told AFP.

The killed individual, wearing a blue "Defend Europe" jacket, had claimed membership in the far-right movement Génération Identitaire, according to Mediapart. Since this attack, many have called for the dissolution of this far-right movement, which received donations from the Christchurch terrorist.

The Avignon attack came a few hours after the one at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice, which caused three deaths. But no link has been made between the two cases. "This is a common law case, the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has ruled out its jurisdiction. The investigation has therefore been entrusted to the judicial police," the prosecutor specified.