He was tracked by CCTV as he headed into the center of the town and police were deployed to tackle the suspect immediately. He was reportedly arrested close to Forville market – he was found to be in possession of two fully-loaded shotguns and a knife with a 25cm blade.
In view of the earlier lone wolf attacks, hundreds of soldiers have been deployed in France in the run-up to Christmas celebrations.
The first of these attacks was in Tours when a man stabbed three police officers after shouting "God is Great" in Arabic. This man was shot dead by officers and counter-terrorism officers are investigating.
The next day, 13 people suffered injuries in Dijon when a car driver targeted pedestrians in five different parts of the city within a space of half an hour. This man was also heard shouting "God Is Great" in Arabic, before ploughing into pedestrians. He had a history of being hospitalized for as many as 157 times – he could be mentally ill.
The third attack was on the next day in Nantes - 10 people were injured - including one who is said to be "clinically dead" - when a van was driven into a Christmas market. In the opinion of a minister of the government, this attack appeared to be that of an unbalanced mind.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls does not feel that the three attacks were linked. But, he has added that the rising profiles of French extremists in Syria and threats of terrorist is higher now than ever and that security was being beefed up, especially in crowded areas.
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