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1 killed in attack on retirement home in France, manhunt underway Woman killed in attack on retirement home in France, manhunt underway
(35 minutes later)
A man armed with a knife and a shotgun stormed a retirement home for monks in Montpellier, France, on Thursday evening, killing at least one person. Police have escorted some 60 residents to safety, but the attacker is still on the loose. At least one person has been murdered after an armed man stormed a retirement home for monks in Montpellier, France, on Thursday evening. Special police units cleared the building, but the suspect remains at large.
At least one person was found dead, after the gunman entered around 9:45pm local time. The supervisor at the institution was reportedly able to issue an alert before she was fatally stabbed.  The suspect apparently fled the missionaries’ retirement home after fatally stabbing a woman. The victim is believed to be the concierge who lived on the ground floor of the retirement home. A police source told Reuters that the woman contacted authorities before she was stabbed.
A special intervention unit of the gendarmerie, the PSIG-Sabre, is sweeping the premises. All floors of the property were inspected, a Parisien correspondent reported from the scene. The police proceeded to sweep the home's basements and outbuildings.
At least 59 nursing home residents were rescued, a source close to the investigation told AFP. However, the suspect is still on the loose. The attacker, armed with a shotgun and a knife, entered the three-story nursing home compound at around 9:45pm local time. After the alarm was raised, police and rescue units arrived at the scene.
Witnesses say the man was wearing a hoodie and carrying a gun. It is not know if the firearm was discharged, but the suspect is still believed to be on site. According to an AFP source, the hooded individual also had a knife and possibly a shotgun. A special intervention unit of the gendarmerie, the PSIG-Sabre, swept the premises. After inspecting all the floors of the property and its basements, the officers did not find the suspect, who was reportedly wearing a hoody.
The motives of the attacker are unknown. A source told Reuters that at this time, there was "no indication" that the attack was linked to terrorism. Nursing home residents, some of whom are over 90 years old, were rescued and evacuated to safety, AFP reported.
A large police force, including the Herault gendarmerie group, has been deployed to the African mission retirement home, e-metropolitain reports. The motives of the attacker remain unknown. A source told Reuters that at this time, there was “no indication” that the attack was linked to terrorism.
The nursing home was established in 1994 and is administered by Les Chenes Verts association. The nursing home belonging to Society of African Missions (SMA) was established in 1994 and is administered by Les Chenes Verts association.
The mayor of the town of Montferrier-sur-Lez, Michel Fraysse (LR), told AFP that 60 former missionaries to Africa, as well as six or seven lay people, live at the home. He added that "security forces, firemen, and ... ambulances" are at the scene. The mayor of the town of Montferrier-sur-Lez, Michel Fraysse (LR), told AFP that 60 former missionaries to Africa, as well as six or seven lay people, live at the home.
France, which remains under a state of emergency following the horrific November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded, already suffered an attack on a clergy member earlier this year. In July an 84-year-old Catholic priest was murdered by two Islamic State attackers during morning mass at the parish church in Saint Etienne-du-Rouvray, a suburb of Rouen. France, which remains under a state of emergency following the horrific November 13, 2015, attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded, already suffered an attack on a clergy member earlier this year.
In July an 84-year-old Catholic priest was murdered by two Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) attackers during morning mass at the parish church in Saint Etienne-du-Rouvray, a suburb of Rouen.