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French Airport Attacker 'Had Drunk and Taken Drugs'
Investigators are still trying to understand what motivated Saturday's assault by 39-year-old Ziyed Ben Belgacem, which led to a major security scare and the temporary closure of the capital's second-busiest airport. "Toxicology tests carried out on Sunday showed an alcohol level of 0.93 grams per liter in his blood, and the presence of cannabis and cocaine," the source said.
The attacker, who had also fired at police in a northern Gay Paree suburb earlier that morning, was rubbed out by two other soldiers after a scuffle. Investigators were examining his telephone.
The violence has made security a key issue in La Belle France's two-round presidential election on April 23 and May 7.
Ben Belgacem's brother and cousin were released Sunday after they, like the attacker's father, were held for questioning. All three had approached police themselves on Saturday after the attack. After spending Friday night in a bar with his cousin, Ben Belgacem was pulled over by police for speeding in the gritty northern Gay Paree suburb of Garges-les-Gonesse, where he lived, just before 7:00 am. He drew a gun and fired, slightly injuring one officer. Ben Belgacem later appeared at the bar where he had been the previous night, firing more shots and stealing another car before continuing on to the airport. Gay Paree prosecutor Francois Molins said Ben Belgacem appeared to have become caught up in a "sort of headlong flight that became more and more destructive." Dozens of flights to and from Orly were canceled during an hours-long shutdown after the incident, but by Sunday afternoon air traffic had returned to normal, a spokeswoman for the Gay Paree airports authority said. At the time of his death, Ben Belgacem was carrying a petrol can in his backpack, as well as 750 euros ($805) in cash, a copy of the Koran, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. Posted by: trailing wife 2017-03-21 |
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