French leader decries terrorist beheading of history teacher

For second time in three weeks, terror struck France, this time with gruesome beheading of a history teacher in a street in a Paris suburb. suspected attacker was shot and killed by police. French President Emmanuel Macron deunced what he called an “Islamist terrorist attack” and urged nation to stand united against extremism. teacher had discussed caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad with his class, authorities said.

French anti-terrorism prosecutor opened an investigation for murder with a suspected terrorist motive, prosecutor’s office said. Macron visited school where teacher worked in town of Conflans-Saint-Horine and met with staff after slaying. An Associated Press reporter saw three ambulances arrive at scene, and heavily armed police surrounding area and police vans lining leafy nearby streets.

“One of our compatriots was murdered today because he taught ... freedom of expression, freedom to believe or t believe,” Macron said. He said attack shouldn’t divide France because that’s what extremists want. “We must stand all toger as citizens,” he said.

incident came as Macron’s government works on a bill to address Islamist radicals who authorities claim are creating a parallel society outside values of French Republic. France has largest Muslim population in Western Europe with up to 5 million members, and Islam is country’s . 2 religion.  killing of teacher occurred in Conflans-Sainte-Horine while fleeing suspect was killed by police in adjoining Eragny.

A police official said suspect, armed with a knife and an airsoft gun — which fires plastic pellets — was shot dead about 600 meters (yards) from where male teacher was killed after he failed to respond to orders to put down his arms, and acted in a threatening manner.

teacher had received threats after opening a discussion “for a debate” about caricatures about 10 days ago, police official told Associated Press. parent of a student had filed a complaint against teacher, ar police official said, adding that suspected killer did t have a child at school.

An ID card was found at scene of suspect, but police were verifying identity, police official said. French media reported that suspect was an 18-year-old Chechen, born in Moscow. That information could t be immediately confirmed.

France has seen occasional violence involving its Chechen community in recent months, in Dijon region, Mediterranean city of Nice, and western town of Saint-Dizier, believed linked to local criminal activity.

It was t kwn what link, if any, attacker might have with teacher or wher he had accomplices. Police were fanning out on searches of homes and potential family and friends of man in question, French media reported — a “classic” scenario in a terrorism case, police official said.

two officials could t be named because y were t authorized to discuss ongoing investigations.

“We didn't see this coming,” Conflans resident Remi Tell, who as a child had attended Bois D'Aulne middle school, said on CNews TV station. He described town as peaceful.

It was second terrorism-related incident since opening of an ongoing trial on newsroom massacre in Jan. 2015 at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo after publication of caricatures of prophet of Islam.

As trial started, paper republished caricatures of prophet to underscore right of freedom of expression. Quickly, a young man from Pakistan was arrested after stabbing two people with a meat cleaver outside newspaper's former offices. y did t suffer threatening injuries. 18-year-old told police he was upset about publication of caricatures.

In a video posted recently on social media, a man describing himself as a far at school said teacher who was slain had recently shown an offensive im of a man and told students it was “ prophet of Muslims.” Before showing ims, teacher asked Muslim children to leave room because he planned to show something shocking, man said.

“What was mess he wanted to send se children? ... Why does a history teacher behave this way in front of 13-year-olds?” man asked. He called on or angry parents to contact him, and relay mess.

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Michel Euler in Conflans-Saint-Horine, Angela Charlton in Paris and Nicolas Vaux-Montagny in Lyon contributed to this report.