The manhunt for a young man in his twenties, suspected of murdering a worshiper at a mosque in Gard on Friday morning, continued on Saturday evening. After stabbing his victim during prayer, he filmed the scene while insulting «Allah» and stated his intention to repeat the act, according to sources close to the investigation. Prime Minister François Bayrou condemned the act as «an Islamophobic atrocity» and assured that «state resources are mobilized» to capture the killer. Jean-Luc Mélenchon stressed that «Islamophobia kills», while Eric Ciotti called it «a source of concern for the Republic». The tragedy occurred around 8:30 AM at the Khadijia mosque in La Grand-Combe. The victim, 23 or 24-year-old Aboubakar, volunteered weekly to clean the mosque. Surveillance footage shows the attacker initially mimicking prayer before pulling out a knife and delivering between 40 and 50 blows. The suspect, identified as «Olivier H.», a French national of Bosnian origin and non-Muslim, is considered «extremely dangerous», according to Alès prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini. In a video recorded after the attack, he clearly expresses his intention to strike again. His younger brother, a minor, was arrested on Saturday but was quickly released without charges. The investigation, still under the direction of the Alès prosecutor's office, may be taken over by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. Aboubakar, who had arrived from Mali a few years ago, was well-liked by the locals. «Hate fuels tragedies», SOS Racisme reminded, calling for stronger public action against racism and Islamophobia.
