Murder in a Mosque in Gard: Suspect Manhunt Ongoing, Islamophobic Motive Suspected

A day after the murder of a worshipper inside the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard), investigators are engaged in a race against time to track down the alleged perpetrator, who remains at large. Dozens of investigators have been mobilized since Friday morning to locate the suspect, a French national in his early twenties, previously unknown to police and judicial authorities.

According to Abdelkrim Grini, the public prosecutor of Alès, “investigators are working tirelessly to locate the individual and prevent him from harming others.” A source close to the case said that “everything suggests” the suspect, who has been identified and is actively sought, intends to commit further killings.

A Brutal and Violent Attack

The events unfolded on Friday around 8:30 a.m. in the small town of La Grand-Combe. Alone inside the prayer hall, the suspect reportedly asked the victim, a Malian-born young man aged 23 or 24, to teach him how to pray, before stabbing him between 40 and 50 times. After leaving his victim for dead, the attacker fled the scene. It wasn’t until later in the morning, when other worshippers arrived for Friday prayers, that the body was discovered.

A video recorded immediately after the attack and briefly shared on Snapchat shows the suspected attacker insulting the victim and Allah, claiming responsibility for the attack and expressing his desire to “kill again.” Investigators also have footage from security cameras installed inside and outside the mosque.

Islamophobic Motive Under Investigation

The investigation, opened for “murder,” is now focusing on a potential Islamophobic motive. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office is closely monitoring the case. Two searches have been conducted in the Gard and Hérault regions. The suspect’s brother, who was taken into custody on Saturday morning, was released later in the evening with no charges filed against him.

The brutal killing has sparked widespread reactions. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the attack as “appalling” and expressed solidarity with the Muslim community. Prime Minister François Bayrou also denounced “the exhibited ignominy of Islamophobia” and assured that “state resources are fully mobilized to capture and punish the perpetrator.”

The manhunt continues relentlessly to apprehend the suspect responsible for this act of extreme violence, which has deeply shaken the peaceful town of 5,000 inhabitants.