Hostage-taking at a church in the suburbs of Rouen was planned in advance, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet stated.
Brandet told BFMTV TV channel that it is early to speak about the motives. It is obvious that these were aggressive and deliberate actions, which, of course, have been prepared in advance.
According to him, the aggressors left the church and were neutralized by police at the site. Inside the building the police found the body of a dead man, another man “is between life and death”. Brandet noted that now experts are studying the scene of the tragedy, and it is checked for the presence of explosives.
Two criminals armed with knives took five hostages in the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray at about 9.45. According to preliminary data, the police neutralized them. At least, one of hostages ,probably a priest, was killed, another person is in critical condition.
French President Francois Hollande is on his way to the suburbs of Rouen which is his hometown. The Minister of Interior Affairs of France Bernard Kaznev also left for the scene, RIA Novosti reported.
