Knifeman in fatal stabbing at mosque in south of France surrenders in Italy
Killer had expressed a desire to become a serial killer
The Alès prosecutor also welcomed “a satisfactory end” to the two-day manhunt (pictured Alès court))
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A manhunt has ended after the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a worshipper at a mosque in Gard, southern France, surrendered to police in Italy.
The man, identified as 21-year-old Olivier A., turned himself in at a police station in Pistoia, north-west of Florence, late on Sunday night (April 27).
He is now in custody and being questioned by Italian authorities, reports the public prosecutor’s office in Alès.
The French authorities have confirmed that extradition proceedings will be launched today to return him to France as soon as possible.
The attack took place early on Friday morning (April 25), when the victim, 23-24-year-old Aboubakar Cissé, originally from Mali, was praying inside the Khadidja mosque in La Grand-Combe.
He was stabbed multiple times - reports suggest between 40 and 50 wounds - before the attacker fled the scene.
The body was only discovered several hours later by worshippers arriving for Friday prayers.
Suspected Islamophobic attack
The suspect filmed the brutal attack on his phone, insulting both the victim and Islam. According to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, he had “expressed a desire to become a serial killer", stating his intent to kill two other people.
The footage was reportedly sent to a third party and briefly posted on Snapchat before being removed.
Realising he was likely caught by the mosque’s security cameras, the attacker was heard saying, “I am going to be arrested, for sure.”
The attack has shocked the local community, with Abdelkrim Grini, the Alès public prosecutor, stating that "all avenues are being explored," including the possibility of an Islamophobic motive.
France’s national anti-terrorist prosecutor is assessing the case.
Olivier A., born in Lyon in 2004, was previously unknown to police or judicial authorities.
Marches held in tribute to Aboubakar
On Sunday afternoon, over a thousand people marched through La Grand-Combe in tribute to Aboubakar, walking from the mosque where the attack happened to the town hall.
Several hundred others gathered later in Paris, including the leader of the far-left party France Insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who accused the interior minister of fostering an "Islamophobic climate".
Following the suspect’s arrest, Mr Retailleau praised the "determination and professionalism" of investigators, which had led to a "very quick" result.
The Alès prosecutor also welcomed “a satisfactory end” to the two-day manhunt.
