http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/09/hostages-france060309.html
A former teacher surrendered Thursday after holding 23 students and teachers hostage at gunpoint in a French high school for several hours. Intense negotiations led to the standoff being resolved peacefully, police said. The 33-year-old hostage-taker was reported to be severely depressed because he hadn't been able to find a job.
From about 2:30 p.m. local time until early evening, he held a handgun on his hostages in an upper-floor study hall at Colbert de Torcy High School in Sable-sur-Sarthe. The town is located about 40 kilometres away from the city of Le Mans in northwestern France.
Police in Le Mans said one of the hostages was a teacher, another was a school employee, and the rest were high school students aged between 16 and 18. A school receptionist told the Associated Press that the gunman had told school staff he wouldn't harm the students.
He allowed the students to send cellphone text messages and call their relatives during the siege.
One report said the man had asked to talk to the country's education minister, François Fillon.
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*phew* the best resolution we could all hope for :)
A former teacher surrendered Thursday after holding 23 students and teachers hostage at gunpoint in a French high school for several hours. Intense negotiations led to the standoff being resolved peacefully, police said. The 33-year-old hostage-taker was reported to be severely depressed because he hadn't been able to find a job.
From about 2:30 p.m. local time until early evening, he held a handgun on his hostages in an upper-floor study hall at Colbert de Torcy High School in Sable-sur-Sarthe. The town is located about 40 kilometres away from the city of Le Mans in northwestern France.
Police in Le Mans said one of the hostages was a teacher, another was a school employee, and the rest were high school students aged between 16 and 18. A school receptionist told the Associated Press that the gunman had told school staff he wouldn't harm the students.
He allowed the students to send cellphone text messages and call their relatives during the siege.
One report said the man had asked to talk to the country's education minister, François Fillon.
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*phew* the best resolution we could all hope for :)