France: 11-yr-old girl shot dead while playing as neighbor opens fire over 'cutting of unwanted trees'

A devastating incident occurred in France as an 11-year-old girl from a British family was fatally shot while playing in the gardens of her home.

The incident took place in the village of Saint-Herbot, near Quimper in Brittany, while the girl was playing in her home’s garden around 10 pm local time on Saturday.

Authorities have arrested a 71-year-old Dutch national, the suspected perpetrator of the girl’s killing, as stated by local prosecutors. The suspect’s wife is also reportedly in custody.

The Times Report on the incident mentioned that the family was having a barbecue at the time of the attack, adding to the chilling nature of the incident.

Yannick, a local resident, recounted the tragic events, saying, “We heard the bangs and we thought it was children playing with bangers. Then the kid ran into a neighbour’s house saying, ‘My sister is dead, my sister is dead.'”

Preliminary evidence indicates that the pensioner suddenly appeared armed with a gun and fired multiple shots at the victims, according to local prosecutors.

After the shooting, he reportedly locked himself inside his residence along with his wife.

According to reports, the girl’s father is currently in critical condition, while her mother sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Incidentally, the girl’s eight-year-old sister managed to escape unharmed and promptly raised the alarm, although she remains in a state of shock.

The family had resided at the property for approximately four to five years, and both girls were born in France.

Carine Halley, the state prosecutor in Quimper, reported that the Intervention Group of the National Gendarmerie tactical unit was called to the scene of the tragic shooting.

A skilled negotiator successfully convinced the neighbor and his wife to surrender, leading to their subsequent arrest.

Speculation has arisen that an ongoing dispute may have been the underlying cause of the incident. One neighbor mentioned that the conflict with the Dutch pensioner had originated when they “removed all the trees that bothered them.”

The negotiator’s intervention resulted in the pensioner and his wife willingly giving themselves up before being detained by authorities.

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