April 24th

      Le Parisien: Attack in a high school in Nantes: the suspect committed to psychiatry, his custody was lifted in the evening

        Highlights

        22:48 — This is the end of this live broadcast

        22:21 — Alert: Justin P., the suspect, interned in psychiatry

        21:40 — “He attacked one of his friends, we can’t understand who was targeted”

        21:20 — “Making our young people feel good”

        21:13 — “Very often, there are psychological problems at the origin of these acts,” says Eric Coquerel

        21:01 — The search of bags in front of schools, an existing measure

        20:49 — Faced with “ultra-violence”, the government spokeswoman calls for a “collective leap forward”

        20:35 — “We heard a girl screaming”: middle school students recount the attack

        20:03 — The Minister to the Minister of the Interior denounces “intolerable violence”

        19:22 — François Bayrou denounces an “explosion of violence” after the knife attack

        19:08 — One of the injured young people is not “totally out of the woods”, according to Elisabeth Borne

        19:06 — “I will not be involved in politics,” says Johanna Rolland, the mayor of Nantes

        19:02 — This is “probably” an isolated act, according to Bruno Retailleau

        18:58 — “The entire educational community is in shock”

        18:50 — “This tragedy is not a news item, it is a social fact”

        18:13 — Emmanuel Macron praises the “courage” of the “teachers” who have “undoubtedly prevented other tragedies”

        17:51 — Ministers Bruno Retailleau and Élisabeth Borne arrived on the scene

        17:44 — François Bayrou wants “an intensification of controls” around schools

        17:09 — What is contained in the “manifesto” sent to all high school students by Justin P.

        16:50 — Who is Justin P., the teenager suspected of being the perpetrator of the knife attack?

        16:28 — The press conference of the Nantes prosecutor postponed to “a later time”

        15:59 — The teenager stopped by “the school’s IT manager”

        15:57 — Two of the injured students entrenched in a closed room

        15:55 — The teenager armed with two knives, a hunting knife and a folding knife

        15:44 — A press conference at 7 p.m.

        15:39 — A manifesto critical of the current global system

        15:33 — Alert — The author is described as a teenager with “suicidal” tendencies

        15:01 — Élisabeth Borne and Bruno Retailleau go to the site

        15:00 — The suspect subdued and arrested

        15:00 — At least one death and one student in absolute emergency

        15:00 — Hello and welcome

        Context — Knife attack in a high school in Nantes

      Le Parisien: Nantes: a high school student dies after the stabbing of a classmate, another student in absolute emergency

      Le Parisien: Nantes knife attack: what is in the “manifesto” sent to all high school students by Justin P., the main suspect

      The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack: “depressed”, “adored Hitler”... What do we know about the aggressor student?

        “He followed neo-Nazi groups on the networks”

        A 13-page email

      The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack in a high school: victims, suspect, e-mail... What we know

        Where did the attack take place?

        What happened?

        What do the witnesses say?

        Who are the victims?

        What do we know about the attacker?

        How does he explain his gesture?

        What is the status of the investigation?

    April 25th

      The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack: “Upset”, “sad and shocked”, emotion and incomprehension in the aftermath of the tragedy

        White Roses

        Classes suspended on Friday

        Profile difficult to define

        Emmanuel Macron praised the “courage” of the teachers**

      The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack in a high school: the profile of the attacker at the center of the investigation

        Incompatibility with police custody

        A confused email sent to students

        Gantries as a runway

        The gantry hypothesis denounced on the left and acclaimed on the right

      Valeurs actuelles: Spite in love, “deep ecology”, suicidal thoughts... Revelations about the “motivations” of Justin P., the attacker in Nantes

        The teenager called “SOS Suicide” before he carried out the act

    April 30th

      TRAC Incident Report: Student Kills a Classmate and Injures Three Others in a Knife Attack at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides Secondary School, Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France

        Ideological Indicators and Ethnic Background

    May 5th

      Anti-Tech Resistance: Defamation of the anti-tech movement

      Valeurs actuelles: Attack in a high school in Nantes: the trail of proximity between the perpetrator and an environmental movement examined

        Inspired by the theories of the Unabomber

      Entrevue: Attack on the high school in Nantes: Was the murderer inspired by an eco-radical anti-technology movement?

        An ideology inherited from the Unabomber

April 24th

Le Parisien: Attack in a high school in Nantes: the suspect committed to psychiatry, his custody was lifted in the evening

Subtitle: A high school student was killed and three others were stabbed by a student, this Thursday, at midday, in the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides middle school-high school in Nantes.

Source: Le Parisien <leparisien.fr/faits-divers/direct-attaque-au-couteau-dans-un-lycee-a-nantes-elisabeth-borne-et-bruno-retailleau-attendus-sur-place-24-04-2025-K5WB4V373JC6FM2XV3SF4BJQ54.php>

Notes: This was a live feed of breaking news about the school stabbing in the region of Loire-Atlantique.

Authors: Manon Aublanc and Jean-Michel Décugis

Date: April 24, 2025


This live broadcast is over

Highlights
22:48 — This is the end of this live broadcast

Thank you all for following us. You can find all our articles on the knife attack in a high school in Nantes on leparisien.fr. Have a good evening everyone!

22:21 — Alert: Justin P., the suspect, interned in psychiatry

Justin P., the suspect, has been committed to psychiatry, according to information from Le Parisien. His custody was lifted in the evening.

According to our information, the teenager was examined by a psychiatrist in the hours following his arrest. His condition was deemed incompatible with a police custody measure. He was hospitalized under duress in psychiatry in the evening, we learned.

21:40 — “He attacked one of his friends, we can’t understand who was targeted”

After the attack at Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), the parents’ wait in front of the school and then the students’ exit gave rise to intense scenes of emotion and the first testimonies, collected by Le Parisien.

“He attacked one of his friends. We can’t understand who was targeted,” Neige, a second-year student, told Le Parisien.

21:20 — “Making our young people feel good”

For Hélène Laubignat, the president of the Association of Parents of Students in Free Education (Apel), “we must find solutions to ensure that our young people feel good in our schools. As a parent, it is absolutely necessary to be vigilant to the slightest warning signal from our children. Today, with social networks, the media, our young people are more and more subjected to different forms of aggression, we must be able to help them,” she insists, calling for “generalized listening points in all schools.”

21:13 — “Very often, there are psychological problems at the origin of these acts,” says Eric Coquerel

“Acts of violence by very young people with knives are developing,” acknowledged the LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis, Eric Coquerel on Franceinfo. But according to him, “very often, there are psychological problems at the origin of these acts”, he explained, regretting that “in France the issue of prevention” on this issue is “in a bad situation”.

21:01 — The search of bags in front of schools, an existing measure

The search of bags by the police at the entrance to schools, which François Bayrou is calling for to be intensified, has already been implemented in some territories. At least in theory. “In my area, the gendarmerie commander told me that he does not have enough human resources to ensure a regular presence in front of the schools,” says another principal who prefers to remain anonymous.

Our full article can be found on Le Parisien.

20:49 — Faced with “ultra-violence”, the government spokeswoman calls for a “collective leap forward”

Government spokeswoman Sophie Primas deplores the “unbearable tragedy” of the Nantes attack. “This ultra-violence has no place in a school,” she wrote on X, adding that the government is calling for “a collective leap forward.” “We must, together, protect our children. And we will continue to act with determination,” she said.

Sophie Primas

An unbearable tragedy occurred today in Nantes, at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides high school, where a young female student lost her life and other students were seriously injured.

My thoughts are first with the victim’s family, her loved ones, and her classmates, whose pain I can only imagine.

This extreme violence has no place in a school. The @GouvernementFR calls for a collective awakening. @Elisabeth_Borne and @Retailleau immediately went to the scene, alongside the victims, to offer the support and solidarity of the State.

Together, we must protect our children. And we will continue to act with determination.

6:00 PM · Apr 24, 2025

20:35 — “We heard a girl screaming”: middle school students recount the attack

“I was at the cafeteria with my friends and we were told that a high school student had stabbed second graders in several classes. We were asked not to leave the cafeteria for about twenty minutes and then we were confined to a gymnasium,” a 3rd grade student told AFP.

Another third-grade student said he “saw adults blocking the door of the school and when we got closer, they shouted ‘get out of here’, there’s someone with a knife. We ran to the toilet to hide and we heard a girl screaming.” “Then we were grouped together in a multipurpose room where there is a large bay window. We saw the police arrive and then the firefighters,” he added.

20:03 — The Minister to the Minister of the Interior denounces “intolerable violence”

“This afternoon, a student was killed and three students were injured at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides high school in Nantes. Stabbed,” wrote François-Noël Buffet, minister to the Minister of the Interior, on X. “This violence is intolerable. I am thinking of the families, of all the students and teachers of the school and I want to express my full support to them. »

François-Noël BUFFET

This afternoon, a student was killed and three students were injured at Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides high school in #Nantes. Stabbed. This violence is intolerable. My thoughts are with the families, all the students, and teachers of the school, and I want to express my full support to them.

5:59 PM · Apr 24, 2025

19:22 — François Bayrou denounces an “explosion of violence” after the knife attack

Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced an “explosion of violence” among young people as well as the “perpetual threat” posed by the “presence of knives and deadly weapons in schools”.

Asked about the intensification of controls around schools that he is calling for, the Prime Minister said that the installation of gates at the entrance to schools “is a way forward”.

19:08 — One of the injured young people is not “totally out of the woods”, according to Elisabeth Borne

Asked about the state of health of the three victims, Elisabeth Borne said that there was “no guarantee” that one of the injured young people would be “totally out of the woods”.

A young woman died and three other high school students were injured in the attack.

19:06 — “I will not be involved in politics,” says Johanna Rolland, the mayor of Nantes

“Tonight I will not be involved in politics. I am the mayor of this city, this city is in mourning,” said Johanna Rolland, the mayor of Nantes, when asked about Bruno Retailleau’s remarks, which evoke “a savagery” and a “fact of society”. The mayor nevertheless raised “the question of the mental health of the youth of this country”.

Johanna Rolland also denounced the tweets “from Paris” of “national officials who have not set foot here”.

19:02 — This is “probably” an isolated act, according to Bruno Retailleau

Asked about the investigation, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that “about fifty investigators” are mobilized and “working hard.” They have already carried out “more than 70 hearings” have been conducted. According to the tenant of Beauvau, it is “probably” an isolated act.

Why did the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) indicate that it was “under evaluation” to know if it was taking over the investigation? “It is normal for the PNAT to question itself, it is not obvious that the PNAT can take up the matter, it is in the process of evaluating to know if the facts are of its own,” said the Minister of the Interior.

18:58 — “The entire educational community is in shock”

Before Bruno Retailleau, it was Elisabeth Borne who spoke, first of all addressing her thoughts and support “to the teenager who lost her life, to the three students who are injured”.

The Minister of National Education also wanted to “pay tribute to the staff of the school who intervened and who were able to neutralize the aggressor and who were able to prevent this tragedy from being more serious”.

“It is the entire educational community that is in shock,” she continued, adding that “the State is mobilized” to support them.

18:50 — “This tragedy is not a news item, it is a social fact”

At the end of their visit, Bruno Retailleau and Elisabeth Borne spoke. “I wanted to travel for this tragedy that upsets us, that upsets the whole Nation,” said Bruno Retailleau.

“This tragedy upsets us (...) losing a child is the worst pain,” continued the Minister of the Interior.

“Like many French people, I am upset and totally appalled by all this violence. Upset by this savagery,” added Bruno Retailleau, recalling the death of a high school in Yerres in Essonne, stabbed in front of a school, on Monday, March 24, 2025.

“I, like so many French people, cannot bring ourselves to let these places of life become places of savagery and death. This tragedy is not a news item, it is a social fact,” said Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.

Denouncing a “society that has encouraged laxity, that has wanted to deconstruct prohibitions, authority, order, hierarchies and that has finally given birth to all this violence”, he called for “denouncing” this violence.

18:13 — Emmanuel Macron praises the “courage” of the “teachers” who have “undoubtedly prevented other tragedies”

In a message posted on X, Emmanuel Macron praised the “courage” of the “teachers” who “undoubtedly prevented other tragedies”. “Their courage commands respect,” he added.

Emmanuel Macron

A teenage girl lost her life, three other high school students are injured, following a knife attack in a high school in Nantes.

I extend my heartfelt thoughts to the families, to the high school students, and to the entire educational community, with which the Nation shares the shock and the grief.

Through their intervention, teachers undoubtedly prevented other tragedies. Their courage commands respect.

5:06 PM · Apr 24, 2025

The Head of State sent his “heartfelt thoughts to the families, the high school students and the entire educational community whose shock and sorrow the Nation shares”.

17:51 — Ministers Bruno Retailleau and Élisabeth Borne arrived on the scene

The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, and the Minister of Education, Élisabeth Borne, arrived at the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school a few minutes ago.

They are expected to hold a press conference at the end of their trip.

17:44 — François Bayrou wants “an intensification of controls” around schools

A few hours after the knife attack in Nantes, François Bayrou reacted in a press release, expressing “his strong emotion”.

“This tragedy illustrates once again the endemic violence that exists in part of our youth. It leads us to ask ourselves fundamental questions in terms of education, hierarchy of values and respect for human life,” said the Prime Minister, who “calls for a collective leap forward”.

François Bayrou

Thoughts for the victims in Nantes, support for the educational staff.

Starting this week, we will convene the working group I have tasked with addressing the desire to ban the carrying of bladed weapons in schools, where we will increase inspections.

7:31 PM · Apr 24, 2025

Indicating that he wants “an intensification of the controls put in place around and within schools”, François Bayrou asks “within four weeks” for concrete proposals to “curb” violence by minors with edged weapons.

17:09 — What is contained in the “manifesto” sent to all high school students by Justin P.

A manifesto was sent by Justin P. to students before the attack. In this text, he calls in particular to fight “globalized ecocide” as well as the “alienation” caused by the system.

Called “immune action”, the document is 13 pages long. Here’s what it contains.

16:50 — Who is Justin P., the teenager suspected of being the perpetrator of the knife attack?

Born in 2009 in Saint-Herblain (Loire-Atlantique), Justin P. lives in Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, a town located less than ten kilometers from Nantes. He is a student at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides secondary school where the knife attack took place.

Unknown to the criminal record processing service (TAJ), as well as the police and intelligence services, the young man has “suicidal” tendencies, according to our information.

During his arrest, he allegedly asked one of the police officers to “shoot him in the head”, we learned. The point in this article.

16:28 — The press conference of the Nantes prosecutor postponed to “a later time”

Contrary to what had been announced, the press conference of the Nantes prosecutor, Antoine Leroy, initially scheduled for 7 p.m., is “postponed to a later time,” the prosecutor’s office said.

15:59 — The teenager stopped by “the school’s IT manager”

According to our information, Justin P. was stopped in his disastrous enterprise by “the establishment’s IT manager”. The latter explained to the police “that he wanted to intervene when the perpetrator was stabbing the deceased girl”.

The teenager then “chased the IT manager to the ground floor”, according to his testimony, before dropping his knives, surrendering and being restrained on the ground.

With Jean-Michel Décugis

15:57 — Two of the injured students entrenched in a closed room

During his arrest, the teenager gave his identity and explained that he had another bag “with belongings in the toilets on the first floor”, according to our information.

At the latter, the police discovered an “unconscious young girl” with “several injuries”. Taken care of by the emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries.

Two other victims were found by the police “in another locked classroom where the students had taken refuge,” it was learned. Evacuated, the two injured were taken to the Nantes University Hospital.

With Jean-Michel Décugis

15:55 — The teenager armed with two knives, a hunting knife and a folding knife

When the police arrived, the teenager had “a slight bleeding wound on his forehead and left hand”, according to our information.

The latter, equipped with a “glove on his right hand”, was “dressed in black pants” and “safety shoes”, we learned.

Near him, investigators discovered “a black helmet, black tinted glasses and a balaclava”, but two knives, “a hunting knife with a bloody blade” and a “knife with a foldable blade that is closed”.

With Jean-Michel Décugis

15:44 — A press conference at 7 p.m.

To Le Parisien, the Nantes prosecutor’s office confirmed that a press conference would be held at 7 p.m. The prosecutor is expected to detail the circumstances of the tragedy.

15:39 — A manifesto critical of the current global system

In this manifesto, sent to all the school’s students, entitled “Immune Action”, the high school student criticizes the current global system, calling it destructive for humanity and the planet.

He mentions three main categories of aggression. Starting with “globalized ecocide” which is “the sum of human actions that destroy, fragment, poison or commodize” living things, evoking “the disappearance of species”, “chemical contamination”, “concretisation”, “industrial exploitation” or “the loss of ecological knowledge”.

The second point is “systemic violence” and “social alienation.” In it, the high school student evokes the insidious violence of the system on individuals, which “infiltrates minds, bodies, relationships, emotions, desires, languages. This form of violence is systemic, diffuse.” “It is the invisible architecture of mental submission and contemporary social alienation,” he continues.

Finally, the last point is “totalitarian social conditioning”. He believes that the “information society is in reality nothing more than an immense operation of conditioning, a system of colonization of the unconscious aimed at formatting minds, sterilizing imaginations and making humans docile, predictable, programmable.

15:33 — Alert — The author is described as a teenager with “suicidal” tendencies

The perpetrator of the attack was identified as Justin P., a 16-year-old teenager, born in 2009 in Saint-Herblain, it was learned.

He is in the second year of high school in the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides middle school in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), according to a source close to the case.

According to information from Le Parisien, the young man had “suicidal” tendencies. Before his gesture, the teenager sent a manifesto, consulted by Le Parisien, to all the students of the school via the digital workspace (ENT).

15:01 — Élisabeth Borne and Bruno Retailleau go to the site

On the social network X, the Minister of National Education Élisabeth Borne confirmed the facts and announced that she was going to the site with her counterpart Bruno Retailleau. According to the latter’s entourage, the Minister of the Interior is expected around 5 p.m.

Élisabeth BORNE

A knife attack took place this noon within a private school in Nantes.

I am heading to the scene with @BrunoRetailleau to express all my solidarity with the victims and my support for the educational community.

1:45 PM · Apr 24, 2025

15:00 — The suspect subdued and arrested

The main suspect was subdued on the spot by the teaching staff, before the arrival of the police, according to our information.

The facts took place around 12:30 p.m. The suspect, a student at the high school, armed with a knife, attacked four of his classmates, before being subdued. For some unknown reason, he entered two classrooms where he attacked the victims.

15:00 — At least one death and one student in absolute emergency

According to the first elements, a student stabbed four classmates around 12:30 p.m. One of the victims died while another is in absolute emergency. The condition of the other two remains unknown.

15:00 — Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the knife attack in the private high school Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique).

Context — Knife attack in a high school in Nantes

A high school student was killed and three others were wounded by a student at midday on Thursday in the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides middle school in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique).

A student armed with a knife attacked four of his classmates, before being subdued by the teaching staff, according to the very first elements of the investigation.

According to the first elements of the investigation, the perpetrator of the attack was identified as Justin P., a 16-year-old teenager, born in 2009 in Saint-Herblain (Loire-Atlantique).

The teenager, with “suicidal” tendencies, according to information from Le Parisien, sent a manifesto to all the students of the school via the digital workspace (ENT).

Le Parisien: Nantes: a high school student dies after the stabbing of a classmate, another student in absolute emergency

Subtitle: A student stabbed four classmates in a private high school in Nantes on Thursday. One of them died, while another is in absolute emergency.

Authors: Louis Valleau and Jean-Michel Décugis

Date: April 24, 2025

Source: Le Parisien
<leparisien.fr/faits-divers/nantes-un-lyceen-decede-apres-lagression-au-couteau-dun-camarade-un-autre-eleve-en-urgence-absolue-24-04-2025-YH5AY2GPGBAJ5MERTHOPAU3YVM.php>


A student stabbed four of his classmates at the private high school of Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides on Thursday around 12:30 p.m., not far from the Doulon district town hall in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), several police sources told Le Parisien, confirming information from Ouest-France. A high school student died and another is in absolute emergency.

According to our information, the suspect’s name is Justin P.. He is 16 years old and has “suicidal” tendencies, according to a police source. He had sent all the students, by email, a 13-page manifesto, deeply criticizing the current world system, calling it destructive to humanity and the planet.

According to the first elements of the investigation, the suspect — who is not yet known if he is a student of the school in question — entered two classrooms before carrying out the act, armed with two knives, including a hunting knife. He was subdued by the teaching staff on the spot before the arrival of the police, who arrested him. He was slightly injured at the time. A large police force was deployed around the school.

“A knife attack took place this noon in a private school in Nantes,” the Minister of National Education confirmed on the social network X. She is due to go to the site at the end of the day, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau.

“We came out of our classroom at 1 p.m. and we saw a lot of students crying. We didn’t understand why,” a student told Ouest-France. “We are very shocked. You only see that on television. We didn’t think it could happen in our high school,” says another in his final year of high school. A psychological unit has been set up, according to Ouest-France. According to the local press, Bassem Asseh, elected official in charge of security in Nantes, and the public prosecutor Antoine Leroy are on the scene.

Le Parisien: Nantes knife attack: what is in the “manifesto” sent to all high school students by Justin P., the main suspect

Subtitle: A 13-page text was sent by the main suspect to the entire school before Thursday’s attack, which left at least one person dead. In particular, he calls for the fight against “globalised ecocide” as well as the “alienation” caused by the system.

Authors: Pierre-Baptiste Vanzini and Salomé Vincendon

Date: April 24, 2025

Source:
<https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/attaque-au-couteau-de-nantes-que-contient-le-manifeste-envoye-a-tous-les-lyceens-par-justin-p-le-principal-suspect-24-04-2025-M24IGZWZQFCKBB6F2QMAIDZYFU.php>


Before the attack, a call for “revolt”. Justin P., the 16-year-old high school student arrested after the knife attack on Thursday morning in a high school in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) is said to be the author of a “manifesto” that he transferred to all the students of the school via the ENT, before the assault. Called “immune action”, the document is 13 pages long.

The attack, which left one dead and several injured, is not mentioned. In this text, the teenager attacks — of which we do not know if he is really the author — the current world system at the origin of the destruction of the planet, but also of man.

The manifesto is divided into three parts. The first carries a message denouncing a “globalized ecocide”. The teenager describes the “global techno-industrial system” as “an extensive, proliferating tumor that destroys the conditions of viability of the organism Earth.” In this context, he calls several times for “ecological revolt” in order to protect the Earth, “it is not a moral choice: it is a biological necessity”, he asserts.

The next two parts denounce two other “aggressions” against humanity: “social alienation” and “social conditioning”. “The system does not just destroy ecosystems: it destroys psyches,” writes the high school student. It is about how the “technocratic social order” affects minds and shapes individuals to its liking, and how human desires are manipulated. Methods that increase the risk of depression, anxiety or suicide in the population, according to him.

The teenager calls for breaking with this system and building an alternative one, built on “self-organization, free learning, folk medicine, sustainable tools.” For him, “this fight is not an ideological whim. It’s a biological emergency,” he repeats.

In this long text, the only violence comes from our system that the author intends to combat. And if he repeatedly calls for a “revolt”, its form is not specified. It is therefore difficult for the moment to link this manifesto with the actions of the attacker. Especially since from the beginning of the text, he specifies “that this document does not justify any act. He only exposes the facts, without claiming to have all the solutions.” He adds, however, that this text “is only an extract or a summary of my official manifesto, which is still unfinished.”

The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack: “depressed”, “adored Hitler”... What do we know about the aggressor student?

Subtitle: A student armed with a knife attacked four of his classmates this Thursday at noon in a private secondary school in Nantes, killing a high school student and injuring three others. He had sent an email to the entire establishment shortly before his act.

Authors: Editorial staff with AFP

Date: 24 Apr 2025 at 17:49 | Updated on Apr 25, 2025 at 8:07 AM

Source: <ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/04/24/attaque-au-couteau-depressif-adorait-hitler-que-sait-on-du-profil-de-l-agresseur>


A high school student broke into the private school of Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) on Thursday with a knife. He broke into two classrooms and stabbed at least four students. The provisional toll reports that one high school student died, and three other students were injured.

“He followed neo-Nazi groups on the networks”

In testimonies collected by AFP, students from the school gave initial information on the profile of the attacker, who was arrested shortly after the facts.

“The high school student, people knew him as depressed, he said he loved Hitler,” explains one student. “People knew him because he was weird, he followed neo-Nazi groups on the networks. We’re all a little shocked,” confirms a 3-year-old studente.

“I was able to talk to two students who were in his class, apparently he is a student who has been quite weird since the beginning of the year,” adds another.

A 13-page email

According to a student at the school, the high school student in question “sent a 13-page email to everyone to explain all his problems at noon”. A high school student sent the manifesto of the alleged killer, which reveals a deep malaise and a “revolt” in the face of a world that “is a trap”.

In it, he evokes “globalization (which) has transformed our system into a machine for decomposing humans,” claiming a “biological revolt” so that “the natural balance, even cruel balance” can take “its place.” Against the ongoing “globalized ecocide,” he pleads in favor of “active misanthropy.”

A parent of a student at the school said the suspect was in the same class as her eldest daughter last year, adding that her classmates described him as “weird.” But at that age, she says, being “weird” “concerns a third of the kids in a class.”

According to a source close to the case, the terrorist trail would be ruled out after having been considered. “We are rather unhappy,” she said.

“The psychiatrist who examined the defendant concluded that his state of health was incompatible with the current police custody measure,” the Nantes public prosecutor told journalists.

“The person concerned will therefore now be taken to the hospital,” added the magistrate.

The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack in a high school: victims, suspect, e-mail... What we know

Subtitle: A high school student was fatally stabbed and three other high school students were injured Thursday at midday in a private middle school, in Nantes, by a student arrested shortly after the facts, arousing strong emotion.

Authors: Editorial staff with AFP

Date: 24 Apr 2025 at 20:45 | Updated on Apr 25, 2025 at 8:07 AM

Source: <ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/04/24/attaque-au-couteau-dans-un-lycee-victimes-suspect-e-mail-ce-que-l-on-sait>


On Thursday at noon in Nantes, a high school student fatally stabbed a teenage girl in his school and injured three other students, before being subdued by educational staff and taken into custody. Here is what we know about the tragedy.

Where did the attack take place?

The knife attack occurred at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides school group, a private school under contract located in the east of Nantes. It welcomes about 2000 students, from kindergarten to high school.

What happened?

The facts took place around 12:30 p.m.: a student armed with a knife attacked four of his classmates, in two different classes. He was then subdued by the teaching staff and arrested.

“He tried to run away, but a teacher knocked him out with a table to neutralize him,” a student told Ouest-France.

“I send my heartfelt thoughts to the families, the high school students and the entire educational community whose shock and sorrow the Nation shares. By their intervention, teachers undoubtedly prevented other tragedies. Their courage commands respect,” Emmanuel Macron reacted on X.

What do the witnesses say?

“I was at the cafeteria with my friends and we were told that a high school student had stabbed second graders in several classes. We were asked not to leave the cafeteria for about twenty minutes and then we were confined to a gymnasium,” said a 3rd grade student.

“We had just finished eating at the cafeteria and we saw adults blocking the door of the school and when we got closer, they shouted: ‘Break up, there’s someone with a knife!’” said a 14-year-old schoolboy.

In a video seen by AFP, the students shout “he has a knife” and hide. In another video, screams in the distance are heard.

Who are the victims?

According to the first elements of the investigation, the first high school student to be hit died of her injuries.

Three other high school students, two boys and a girl according to BFM TV, were injured but Education Minister Elisabeth Borne explained in the early evening during a press briefing in front of the school that one of the young people was not “totally out of the woods”.

What do we know about the attacker?

Aged 15 or 16 depending on the source, Justin P. is a second year student in this private high school. “The high school student, people knew him as depressed, he said he loved Hitler,” explains one student. “People knew him because he was weird, he followed neo-Nazi groups on the networks. We’re all a little shocked,” confirms a 3rd grade student.

“I was able to talk to two students who were in his class, apparently it’s a student who has been quite weird since the beginning of the year,” adds another.

After examination by a psychiatrist, the suspect was hospitalized on Thursday evening. “The psychiatrist who examined the defendant concluded that his state of health was incompatible with the current police custody measure,” the Nantes public prosecutor told journalists.

“The person concerned will therefore now be taken to the hospital,” added the magistrate.

How does he explain his gesture?

His statements to investigators in police custody are not known. However, according to a student at the school, the high school student in question “sent a 13-page email to everyone to explain all his problems at noon”. On Thursday morning, a document was sent from his mailbox to the entire establishment. This manifesto reveals a deep malaise and a “revolt” in the face of a world that “is a trap”.

In it, he evokes “globalization (which) has transformed our system into a machine for decomposing humans,” claiming a “biological revolt” so that “the natural balance, even cruel balance” can take “its place.” Against the ongoing “globalized ecocide,” he pleads in favor of “active misanthropy.”

What is the status of the investigation?

The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office said it was “being evaluated” to find out if it was taking over the investigation. But according to a source close to the case, the terrorist trail would be ruled out after having been considered. “We are rather unhappy,” she said.

The press conference of the public prosecutor of Nantes, initially scheduled for the end of the day, has been postponed.

April 25th

The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack: “Upset”, “sad and shocked”, emotion and incomprehension in the aftermath of the tragedy

Subtitle: Many parents and students were overcome with emotion and incomprehension on Friday, the day after a knife attack in which a high school student was killed and three others injured in a private school in Nantes.

Author: Editorial staff with AFP

Date: 25 Apr 2025 at 12:56 | Updated on Apr 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM

Source: <ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/04/25/attaque-au-couteau-bouleversee-triste-et-choque-emotion-et-incomprehension-au-lendemain-du-drame>


“Sad and shocked.” Like Antonin, many students and parents were plagued by emotion and incomprehension on Friday the day after a knife attack in which a high school student was killed and three others injured in a private school in Nantes.

The suspect, a teenager in the second year of school at the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides school group, was arrested shortly after the tragedy, Thursday at midday, but he was hospitalized in the evening after a psychiatric examination. His motives remain undetermined at this stage.

White Roses

The high school’s student committee issued a call to lay flowers in tribute to the victims in front of the school on Friday at 3:30 p.m. But already in the morning, groups of high school students and single adults came to lay a white rose or a bouquet on the porch. Some kneel in silence or hug each other before leaving, a journalist noted.

“I couldn’t be present” for the afternoon’s tribute “so I came this morning,” explains Emilie, 18, in her final year of high school, “overwhelmed”. “There was never a fight, never violence at school or school,” she says. A few streets from the school, about twenty high school students, all dressed in white, gathered at midday before the tribute. “It’s a way of showing them that we’re there, that we’re thinking about them,” explains Emma, in second grade, “white is to say that we all think about it, but it was to not put ourselves in black, because it’s a sad color.”

Classes suspended on Friday

Classes are suspended on Friday for students in Nantes’ middle and high schools, who can benefit from a psychological support unit. Antonin, in his final year of high school, doesn’t think he’ll go see the psychologists “but it’s good that they did that,” says the high school student who brought a white rose in tribute to the victims.

The group’s primary school, attended by 2,000 students in total, maintained the class. “It’s not a bad thing that the youngest is going back to school because she will be able to ask questions to the educational team if she needs to,” says Antoine, a 44-year-old IT manager, who has come to accompany his daughter who is in CE2.

“We tried to find the right words to tell him about the death of the young girl. She was told that she had succumbed to her injuries, which puts a bit of distance,” he explains. “I admit that I had a hard time dropping my son off at school this morning. Normally, school is the place where nothing can happen,” says Olivia, 37, a caregiver and mother of four children, one of whom is in first grade.

Profile difficult to define

In addition to the deceased high school student, three other students were injured by stabbings. One of them was between life and death on Thursday evening but his state of health “has improved”, said the public prosecutor of Nantes, Antoine Leroy, on Friday.

The magistrate is due to give a press conference at 6 p.m. The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said it had assessed the facts and considered that they did not fall within its jurisdiction. The profile of the aggressor seems difficult to define.

“The high school student, people knew him as depressed, he said he loved Hitler. He sent a 13-page email to everyone to explain all his problems at noon,” said a schoolgirl.

Shortly before attacking his classmates, the middle and high school students received a dark and confused email seen by AFP. The suspect evokes in particular “globalization (which) has transformed our system into a machine for decomposing humans,” claiming a “biological revolt” so that “the natural balance, even cruel balance” takes “its place” against “globalized ecocide.”

Emmanuel Macron praised the “courage” of the teachers**

A few hours after the attack, the Minister of the Interior and his colleague from Education went to the school to salute the work of the police, the emergency services and the teaching staff who made it possible to subdue the attacker and avoid, according to them, a heavier toll.

Emmanuel Macron praised the “courage” of the teachers who “undoubtedly prevented other tragedies”.

François Bayrou considered that the installation of gates at the entrance to schools was “a way forward” to avoid new knife attacks, weapons that “must be hunted down”. This hypothesis sparked opposition on the left on Friday — such as LFI MEP Manon Aubry, who denounced a security “race to the shallot” — but remains popular on the right.

The Dauphiné Libéré: Knife attack in a high school: the profile of the attacker at the center of the investigation

Subtitle: The public prosecutor of Nantes, Antoine Leroy, will give a press conference this Friday at 6 p.m., the day after the knife attack in a private middle school.

Authors: The editorial staff with AFP

Date: 25 Apr 2025 at 07:55 | Updated on Apr 25, 2025 at 1:15 PM

Source: <ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/04/25/attaque-au-couteau-dans-un-lycee-le-profil-de-l-agresseur-au-centre-de-l-enquete>


In the aftermath of the knife attack in a private secondary school in Nantes that left one dead and three injured, investigators will try this Friday to identify the motivations of the alleged perpetrator, a teenager described as depressed who was hospitalized Thursday evening after a psychiatric examination.

Why did this student of the private secondary school Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides, arrested shortly after the facts, fatally stab one of his classmates on Thursday in the middle of the day, before attacking three other students, one of whom was between life and death on Thursday evening?

Incompatibility with police custody

The public prosecutor of Nantes, Antoine Leroy, announced that he would give a press conference on Friday at 6 p.m. “The psychiatrist who examined the defendant concluded that his state of health was incompatible with the current police custody measure,” he told the press in the evening. “The person concerned will now be taken to the hospital.”

A few hours earlier, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and his Education colleague Élisabeth Borne had gone to the scene to praise the work of the police, emergency services and teaching staff who made it possible to control the attacker and avoid a heavier toll. Three other students were injured by the teenager and for one of them, there is “no guarantee” that he is “totally out of the woods”, said Élisabeth Borne.

For Friday, classes are maintained for the primary school but suspended for middle and high school students, the psychological unit will remain open within the school group. A call to lay flowers in front of the establishment at 3:30 p.m. was launched and shared on social networks.

A confused email sent to students

The attacker seems to have a singular profile. “The high school student, people knew him as depressed, he said he loved Hitler. He sent a 13-page email to everyone to explain all his problems at noon,” said a schoolgirl. Shortly before attacking his classmates with a knife, he sent the students a dark and confused email.

In it, he evokes in particular “globalization (which) has transformed our system into a machine for decomposing humans,” claiming a “biological revolt” so that “the natural balance, even cruel balance” can regain “its place” against “globalized ecocide.”

Bruno Retailleau considered that “this is not a news item, this drama, this tragedy, it is a fact of society”. “We are in a society that has encouraged laxity, that has wanted to deconstruct prohibitions, authority, order, hierarchies and that has finally given birth to all this violence,” he continued.

Gantries as a runway

Recalling the death a month earlier of a young man stabbed in front of a high school in Essonne, Bruno Retailleau said that “like so many French people, we cannot bring ourselves to let these places of life, these places of education sometimes become places of savagery, places of death”.

President Emmanuel Macron praised the “courage” of the teachers who “undoubtedly prevented other tragedies”.

François Bayrou considered that the installation of gantries at the entrance to schools was “a way” to avoid new knife attacks in schools.

“A knife, a potentially dangerous and even lethal bladed weapon (...) These weapons, they must be banned, therefore they must be hunted down. Everyone must know that they are banned and the necessary controls must be carried out,” the Prime Minister told the press.

The gantry hypothesis denounced on the left and acclaimed on the right

The idea of installing gates in schools sparked opposition on the left on Friday. “It costs 100,000 euros per school. There are 12,000 schools in our country, so you quickly do the math. Not to mention that in terms of efficiency, we will ask children to come to school an hour earlier to be able to queue, so there will be crowds in front of schools, gatherings that can be the target of an unbalanced person,” argued Manon Aubry, the leader of the LFI MEPs on franceinfo.

But on the right, the option of gates is seen as a solution, with the head of the LR deputies, Laurent Wauquiez, former president of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, recalling that he had them installed in high schools in his region “from 2015”, “to fight in particular against the intrusion of weapons”.

“We had proposed experiments — security gates, facial recognition — in high schools. They were refused. It is time to review these decisions, and to act firmly to protect our children,” the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi called on X.

Valeurs actuelles: Spite in love, “deep ecology”, suicidal thoughts... Revelations about the “motivations” of Justin P., the attacker in Nantes

Subtitle: Justin P, a 16-year-old teenager, stabbed four students, one of whom died under his blows. In front of the investigators, the high school student revealed different characteristics of his personality. His act seems to be rooted in his mental state and low self-esteem.

Author: Valeurs actuelles

Source: <valeursactuelles.com/faits-divers/depit-amoureux-ecologie-profonde-idees-suicidaires-revelations-sur-les-motivations-de-justin-p-lassaillant-de-nantes>

Date: April 25, 2025


How can such behaviour be explained? While Justin P., a 16-year-old high school student, stabbed four classmates, one of whom died after being stabbed 57 times, investigators began questioning him to understand his motivations and the reasons for his act. After the end of his police custody, they have some difficulty in determining the motive or the trigger for his act. “It’s going in all directions. There are a lot of contradictory things. For the moment, we don’t see clearly at all,” a source close to the matter told Le Monde.

The teenager called “SOS Suicide” before he carried out the act

One of the leads leads to the spite of love or social frustration experienced by the high school student. In particular, he talked about his relationship with Lorène, a young girl he respected and who would have stopped showing interest in him. In the past, Justin P. is also said to have shown an interest in Nazism. Cryptic inscriptions and ideograms were discovered on his airsoft helmet. But what caught the attention of the investigators was the “manifesto” of radical, anti-technical and anti-modern ecology, sent by email by the teenager to his school. The public prosecutor of Nantes explained that the high school student had “a form of fascination for Hitler, spotted by the school’s teaching staff”. “He drew Hitler,” the magistrate continues.

“I can’t say my motivations because I have too many reasons in my head at the moment,” said the defendant, in comments reported by Le Monde. Nevertheless, Justin P. mentions the “manifesto” among his “motivations”. Inside, we find influences “to the British thinker and scientist James Lovelock, to the technocritical and anti-industrial movement, to anarcho-primitivism or to the misanthropic movement”, explain our colleagues. He claims to have sent this text by email from the school toilets, taken by stress when he had planned to “discuss” with Lorène. In the toilets, “he wrote a few sentences on the wall”, according to the prosecutor. Among them, a sentence in which he asks “that his throat be slit”. He then went to Lorène’s classroom but the teenager then turned back to the toilets, where he allegedly called “SOS Suicide”, in vain.

He says he is “afraid of blood, basically”

“Anxious”, he then rushed into the girl’s class, before injuring three other high school students. “At first, when I first came out of the toilet, it was to make her come and chat in the toilet,” he explains. “I thought I was someone who could solve any type of situation,” says Justin P., before affirming that his self-esteem, which he evaluated at “5/10” before the facts, now stands at “0/10”. His person worried his mother with whom he lives and with whom he had a good relationship. The latter did what was necessary for her son to “meet with educational staff from the Nantes adolescent centre”, said the Nantes public prosecutor. He “met them six times”, according to the magistrate.

While he admits to being “afraid of blood, basically”, he says he feels “great hatred” when he sees videos of extreme violence against animals or acts of torture linked to terrorism. “Are your ideas inspired by a particular ideology?” the investigators then asked him. “Maybe deep ecology,” he retorts. His act seems to be rooted in his mental state and low self-esteem. He was considered a “nerd a little stupid” by his classmates.

April 30th

TRAC Incident Report: Student Kills a Classmate and Injures Three Others in a Knife Attack at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides Secondary School, Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France

Date: 30 April 2025

Source: <https://myemail.constantcontact.com/TRACWatch---Weekly-Analyst-Briefing.html?soid=1107520269808&aid=RREGsjuvQD4>


On 24 April 2025, at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, a 15-year-old student launched a deadly knife attack at the private Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides High School in Nantes, France. The assailant fatally stabbed a 17-year-old girl, identified as Lorène, and injured three other students before being subdued by teachers and arrested by responding police.

According to eyewitness accounts, the perpetrator was wearing a balaclava, black gloves, tinted glasses, safety boots, and a helmet, clothing choices that are a clear indication that the attack was premeditated. Police recovered two knives in his possession, including a bloodied hunting knife. During his arrest, the attacker reportedly asked officers to shoot him in the head, indicating a potential intent to commit “suicide-by-cop.”

Shortly before the stabbing, students at the school received a 13-page manifesto via email. The document, titled “Immune Action – Revolt is already the greatest victory we can achieve,” was reportedly authored and distributed by the perpetrator himself, later identified as Justin Adar Polat. French authorities confirmed that he had sent the manifesto to several students before the incident.

The manifesto is ideologically charged and divided into three sections:

  1. “Globalised ecocide: the first aggression”

  2. “Systemic violence and social alienation: the second aggression”

  3. “Totalitarian social conditioning: the third aggression”

These themes align closely with radical far-left environmental and anti-system beliefs. The text denounces industrial society, discusses environmental collapse (“ecocide”), critiques social control (“totalitarian conditioning”), and references American domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber.

Ideological Indicators and Ethnic Background

While French authorities have not classified the incident as terrorism, TRAC assesses that several elements strongly indicate a politically motivated act. These include the manifesto’s ideological depth, the planning’s methodical nature, and the attacker’s calculated choice of costume and weapons. The manifesto draws from radical far-left themes, particularly anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, and eco-extremist ideologies. Notably, some passages reportedly contain anti-Semitic language, illustrating what TRAC has long identified as the “horseshoe effect”—a phenomenon where elements of far-left and far-right extremism converge in both rhetoric and tactics. This overlap is obvious among eco-fascists and segments of anarchist or radical environmentalist movements, who may target perceived agents of systemic control in similar ways despite differing ideological origins.

The attacker’s full name, Justin Adar Polat, has also drawn attention. TRAC notes that Adar is a Kurdish name meaning “fire” linked to Newroz, the Kurdish New Year celebration. While authorities have not confirmed his precise ethnic and national background, this detail suggests he may be of Kurdish or Turkish descent. However, there is no current indication that his ethnicity played a direct role in motivating the attack.

While the ideological motive is increasingly evident, TRAC also notes the possibility that a personal dispute fueled the attack. Given that the victim may have previously engaged with the perpetrator on the issues cited in the manifesto, such as social justice or environmental themes, it remains plausible that the fatal act was both ideologically and personally driven.

This incident highlights the growing concern around youth radicalisation, particularly the adoption of fringe far-left and eco-extremist ideologies. The attack stands out for its ideological zeal, tactical planning, and symbolic messaging. Though treated by police as a criminal matter rather than an act of terrorism, TRAC considers it emblematic of how lone actors—especially minors—can be radicalised through online content and extremist literature to the point of committing targeted violence in educational settings.

May 5th

Anti-Tech Resistance: Defamation of the anti-tech movement

Subtitle: Mass call to reject the media’s false narrative

Author: Anti-Tech Resistance

Date: 5 May 2025

Source: www.antitechresistance.org


A few days ago, a high school student attacked his classmates in France. He left behind a manifesto denouncing the system and widespread ecocide. On Monday, May 5, several major French media outlets reported that Anti-Tech Resistance is now under police investigation, allegedly linked to these crimes through ideological associations with the attacker.

It is obvious to anyone that the murder of high school students has no place in our political struggle for an anti-tech revolution. Yet the media seem intent on sowing confusion — attempting to associate us with a heinous act of violence in order to discredit anti-tech criticism.

Their goal is to shift the narrative: from a vital critique of our highly technological era to a simplistic, dangerous incitement to violence.

Let us recall facts that journalists have deliberately chosen to ignore: Anti-Tech Resistance was founded in 2022 within a legal, non-violent framework and has operated as such ever since. From the beginning, ATR has positioned itself in direct opposition to the misanthropic ideas found in Justin P.’s manifesto, instead advocating for resistance through political and collective organization.

Though not even mentioned in Justin P.’s writing, author Theodore Kaczynski is now being used by the media to create an artificial link between ATR and the attack of April 24. While ATR has drawn on Kaczynski’s ideas and analyses, we have never endorsed his acts of murder, which he himself later repudiated.

In response to accusations of conspiracy theories, we affirm that our strategy is based solely on a materialist analysis of factual and official scientific data, aimed at understanding how industrial infrastructures impact the social, economic, and ecological organization of society. Saying that technology is not neutral is not conspiratorial — it is, on the contrary, a reflection that should be far more common in our time.

To the accusations of sectarianism, we respond that we reach out to the public, that our events are open to all, and that we primarily engage in popular education activities such as conferences, nature outings, and collective sports.

As for our actions, our activists have conducted awareness campaigns to inform the public about the disastrous implications of certain technologies, particularly through a campaign focused on artificial intelligence.

We continue to argue that the industrial organization of society and the spread of technology into every aspect of life foster the very conditions that make such tragedies possible — particularly through the constant exposure of youth to screens, and the resulting isolation and psychological distress. This crisis — social, psychological, and economic — affecting young people is well-documented. And into that void, extremist groups insert their ideologies — from neo-Nazism to eco-fascism.

The crimes of Justin P., now instrumentalized, are being used to condemn and distort radical ecology by all sides of the political spectrum. The left labels the crime as ‘eco-fascist,’ while the right and center blame the ‘far left’ and ecology for encouraging young people to commit such irreparable acts. Yet, based on the targeted nature of the attack, it is clear that his manifesto has little connection to his true motivations.

We strongly condemn this media-driven narrative, which seeks to associate the anti-tech movement with a murderer, branding it as sectarian and conspiratorial, despite the lack of any factual evidence to support such claims. This is clearly a political assault on anti-technological critique in France — at a time when such criticism is increasingly urgent, given the deepening social and ecological crisis driven by the relentless push for new technologies.

It is crucial that everyone who understands the significance of our critique stands with us to remind the public that the isolated crime of a disturbed individual should not overshadow decades of technocritical thought, from France to the US. In addition to Kaczynski, we can point to thinkers such as Lewis Mumford, Jacques Ellul, Ivan Illich, Simone Weil, and George Orwell — which forms the foundation of our analysis and activism.

And their conclusions, now more than ever, point to the urgent need for revolutionary change.

Valeurs actuelles: Attack in a high school in Nantes: the trail of proximity between the perpetrator and an environmental movement examined

Subtitle: The theses developed in the manifesto sent by the perpetrator of the fatal attack in a high school in Nantes testify, according to the investigators, to an ideological proximity with the Anti-Tech Resistance (ATR).

Author: Valeurs actuelles

Date: 5 May 2025

Source: <valeursactuelles.com/faits-divers/attaque-dans-un-lycee-a-nantes-la-piste-dune-proximite-entre-lauteur-et-un-mouvement-ecologiste-examinee>


Ten days after the attack in a private high school in Nantes, during which a high school student was fatally stabbed, the investigation is in full swing. Investigators are trying to understand the motivations of the perpetrator, Justin P., 16 years old. According to information from Europe 1, published on Monday, May 5, the trail of a proximity between the teenager and a new environmental movement is being carefully examined, although at this stage, no contact has been established by the investigators.

In his “manifesto”, distributed by email shortly before his act, Justin P.thus develops theses related to radical, anti-system and anti-modernity ecology. These words directly echo the ideology advocated by the Anti-Tech Resistance (ATR). Founded in 2022, in Brittany, it presents itself as “an international revolutionary movement that aims to dismantle the technological system to stop the devastation of the world and prevent the extinction of the human species”.

Inspired by the theories of the Unabomber

The ATR is inspired by the theories developed by the Unabomber, an “eco-terrorist” who tried to kill figures in the technological world in the United States in the 1990s via parcel bombs. The movement, however, rejects its mode of action, describing itself as a “non-violent organization,” but says it understands “that exasperated activists and persecuted local communities around the world are using violent means to respond to the violence of power.” A report to the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Drifts (Miviludes) was made against this movement in June 2024.

Moreover, by taking action in his high school, Justin P. was directly targeting one of the cogs in the system. For him, the school formats and conforms minds, prepares them to serve a destructive society.

Entrevue: Attack on the high school in Nantes: Was the murderer inspired by an eco-radical anti-technology movement?

Date: 5 May 2025

Author: Radouan Kourak

Source: <entrevue.fr/de/societe/attaque-au-lycee-de-nantes-le-meurtrier-inspire-par-une-mouvance-eco-radicale-anti-technologie>


Ten days after the knife attack on a high school student in Nantes, the investigation points to a disturbing ideological lead. The young killer, 16-year-old Justin P., may have been influenced by the Anti-Tech Resistance (ATR) movement, an eco-radical organization that opposes technological modernity.

An ideology inherited from the Unabomber

In a manifesto sent out before his action, Justin P. is said to have taken up the theories of Theodore Kaczynski, alias Unabomber, an emblematic figure of anti-industrial “ecoterrorism”. Founded in Brittany in 2022 and active in several French cities, the ATR movement advocates a total rejection of the industrial revolution and is part of a movement that combines radical ecology, anti-systemism and sometimes the struggle for survival. Although no direct connection between the group and the young attacker could be established, his writings indicate a clear influence.

According to the investigators, the choice of a school as a target would not be insignificant. According to Kaczynski’s way of thinking expressed in the manifesto, education would be a vector of social conditioning and submission to a dehumanizing system. Justin P., who is described as isolated and in great psychological distress, may have seen in this gesture the violent expression of an ideology that is completely at odds with social norms.


Radouan Kourak

Journalist, columnist and producer Radouan Kourak has a passion for history and politics. He is characterized by his penchant for analysis, debate, pluralism and the confrontation of ideas. He was discovered by Cyril Hanouna and can be seen regularly on the sets of C8 and CNews, where he speaks with conviction and reflection. He brings a unique perspective to the media, fueled by his passion for France and his pursuit of rigor.