Tragedy struck France Friday, when a terrorist with ties to ISIS attacked a supermarket in the small southern French town of Trèbes.
The gunman, who has been identified as Moroccan-born French national Redouane Lakdim, stole a car in Carcassonne, killing one and shooting a police officer, then drove to Trèbes where he held several people hostage in a local supermarket, killing two and injuring 16. A local police officer, 44-year-old Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, traded places with one of the hostages Lakdim was using as a human shield. Beltrame suffered gunshot and stab wounds before the police entered in a seige killed Lakdim. Beltrame died Saturday morning from his injuries.
Yesterday, Beltrame was honored at a very somber Palm Sunday church service in Carcassonne. Local residents, community leaders, and members of the area’s Muslim community all came to pay tribute to the brave gendarme who sacrificed himself to protect the town and people that he served.
