French student kills one, injures three in stabbing

A 15-year-old boy has killed a fellow pupil and wounded three others in a stabbing attack at a high school in the western French city of Nantes before he was overpowered by teachers, police say.

BFM TV reported that the student who died was a girl and that the three injured students were boys.

Police did not confirm the age or gender of the victims.

A police representative said the attack occurred at the private Catholic Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides High School in Nantes on France's Atlantic coast.

Une agression au couteau a eu lieu ce midi au sein d'un ?tablissement scolaire priv? de Nantes. Je me rends sur place avec @BrunoRetailleau pour exprimer toute ma solidarit? aux victimes et mon soutien ? la communaut? ?ducative.? ?lisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) April 24, 2025

Students at the school told French media at the scene that they had received an email from the assailant earlier in the day with unspecified grievances.

Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said on X that she is heading to the school with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to show "solidarity with victims and the school community".

The regional prosecutor announced a news conference for later on Thursday.

Images from the scene showed police and armed military forces surrounding the school as the investigation got underway.

Students were held inside the school after the attack but allowed to leave in the mid-afternoon under police protection.

Dozens of parents waited outside.

"We're waiting to be able to hold them in our arms ... to help them deal with the stress this will have caused," said Nicolas, a parent at the school.

Police did not name the suspect or give any motives for the attack.

Local newspaper Ouest France said the attacker was dressed all in black, and wore a helmet and balaclava.

Two knives were found lying next to his belongings, it said.

with AP