https://www.valeursactuelles.com/re...nne-evacuee-apres-le-depot-dun-colis-suspect/
A vast police operation involving the intervention of deminers took place in the morning of Friday, April 8, around the Saint-Etienne cathedral in Toulouse. An individual entered the place of worship during mass and left a package. According to testimony collected by Valeurs Actuelles, the individual entered the cathedral during the 8 a.m. mass, shortly after communion. He placed a package in front of the altar, which appeared suspicious.
Initial information mentioned the attack on a sexton. But according to Valeurs Actuelles sources, he actually tried to immobilize the fleeing suspect, but was unsuccessful. So there was no real violence. The sexton then evacuated the cathedral, in which around forty people were gathered. The suspect, described as “resembling a delivery man” and wearing a cap and a bomber jacket, is actively sought by the authorities, in particular via CCTV images. According to La Dépêche, deminers discovered that the package contained an improvised explosive device containing acid, but without a firing device. The reasons for this move remain unknown. The man is said to have shouted some words in the church, which, however, were not understood by those present.
The public prosecutor of Toulouse has indicated that the suspect is a 47-year-old man, already known to officials and suffering from psychiatric disorders. He was the subject of a medical assessment which concluded that his condition was compatible with police custody. According to information from La Dépêche du Midi, he already deposited a suspicious package in the Toulouse metro a fortnight earlier, and was the cause of many disturbances in the neighborhood.
This area of the city, which notably houses the prefecture, has been cordoned off and the deminers dispatched to the site. The suspect was arrested at midday by police officers from the BRI (Research and Intervention Brigade). Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also tweeted on the subject: “Thanks to the rapid intervention of the demining services, police operation completed in Toulouse. No casualties. Thanks to the officers,” he said.
