A man armed with a pistol killed his ex-wife before killing himself in front of the Montpellier judicial court, this Tuesday, February 20, 2024. The couple had been divorced since 2016.
Gunfire and two people dead in Montpellier. This Tuesday, February 20, around 2 p.m., a man armed with a pistol shot his ex-wife in the head and killed her in front of the judicial court, then turned the weapon against himself, again fire at head level. The man and the victim were respectively aged 72 and 66, said the public prosecutor of Montpellier, Fabrice Belargent, during a press conference a few hours after the events. They had been divorced since 2016 and had a court date this Tuesday as part of civil proceedings for the liquidation of assets. The events took place outside the court before the security gates passed, the man was waiting for his ex-wife in front of the courthouse.
The public prosecutor gave few details on the tragedy that occurred in Montpellier. But he indicated that the man responsible for the shooting was not known to the police and that there were no known procedures for domestic violence between the two ex-spouses and there was also no protection order. The man did not have any history allowing him to anticipate the act. According to information from France Bleu Héraultthe man practiced sports shooting.
The path of femicide considered
The preferred path at the moment is that of femicide followed by suicide, according to the report.AFP. “We are not at all dealing with terrorism”, but with a case concerning “a man and a woman who were separated”, clarified to theAFP a source close to the authorities.
The Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, said he was “horrified by the feminicide which took place in front of the Montpellier court this afternoon” and sent his thoughts “to the victim and her loved ones”.
Horrified by the femicide which took place in front of the Montpellier court this afternoon.
My thoughts are with the victim and his loved ones.
All my support to the court staff. The psychological support unit is triggered.
The prosecutor will speak from 4 p.m. https://t.co/MGpGKd0HrR
— Eric Dupond-Moretti (@E_DupondM) February 20, 2024
After the gunshots were reported, the police intervened quickly as did the Samu and the firefighters, whose responsiveness was praised by the public prosecutor. The people who were inside the court were confined before being evacuated via the parking lots after the shots were fired. A psychological support unit was launched. In a press release, the magistrate confirmed that the final report showed two deaths. The perimeter was sealed off during the intervention of the police. If the event is over according to the prefecture, the area remains secured by the police.