Hérault : a woman was killed in a retirement home for religious, the fleeing suspect – Europe1

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A woman was killed after the eruption of an armed man in a retirement home for monks to Montferrier-sur-Lez, in the Hérault department, shortly before 22 hours, announced the prefecture, on Thursday evening, referring to a “criminal act”. “The security forces have evacuated residents, some sixty, which are healthy and safe. The forces of gendarmerie and police are continuing their investigations to find the suspect,” said the prefecture of the Hérault.

The main information to remember :

• An armed man broke Thursday night, shortly before 22 hours in a retirement home for monks, near Montpellier.

• An elderly woman was killed by several blows of a knife.

• The other residents of the retirement home have been “put into safety”.

• The building has been fully searched, the suspect is still being sought.

A woman killed. According to the first elements of the investigation, “a single individual, encagoulé and armed with a knife and a rifle, sawed, broke into the retirement home, which was home to 70 monks”, shortly before 22 hours. Alerted, the police discovered on the spot the body of an employee, killed by several blows of a knife.

other residents evacuated safely. The profile of the man and his motives were not known in the immediate future. “The security forces have evacuated residents, sixty, who are unharmed,” said the prefecture. The excavation of the building took an end around 00: 30 and “the forces of gendarmerie and police are continuing their investigations to find the suspect,” she added.

An institution for the religious. The retirement home referred to, “The Oaks”, is an institution for the women and men religious belonging to the Society of african Missions (SMA). Sixty missionaries of Africa as well as six or seven lay people and six or seven nuns are welcomed, according to the mayor of Montferrier-sur-Lez Michel Fraysse. “It’s a very modern, medicalized,” said Thursday night Wayne Bodkin, episcopal delegate for the information of the diocese of Montpellier. “It’s a very modern, medicalized”.

“The average age is very old, about 75 years old. Some have more than 90 years. The hotel is very large, it has three levels, with thirty rooms per floor”, for its part, indicated Alain Berthet, an elected official of Montferrier-on-Lez. The Society of african missions (SMA) is a community of catholic missionaries in european, african and asian, that has a thousand members, priests and laity, according to its website.