Relatively calm in terms of urban violence, the night of New Year's Eve was marked by the death of a 30-year-old man, killed by a firecracker in the Bas-Rhin and the fatal fall of a man in Paris. "The night was a little less violent than last year, there were no big attacks in the neighborhoods during interventions, summarizes a security source. Given the social context, we did not note any claiming actions. "
Over 400 arrests in France
If a security source evokes an evening "rather calm and controlled", troubles have nevertheless occurred in Vénissieux (Rhône), Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) or Nantes (Loire-Atlantique). Rarer, Limoges (Haute-Vienne) was also marked by clashes, with in particular around thirty burned vehicles and stoned firefighters.
In the Alsatian capital, there were also more than 200 cars burned, according to France Bleu Alsace. Long considered a marker of the level of urban violence, the number of burnt cars has not been communicated by the Interior Ministry for two years. According to our information, during this New Year's Eve night, the 100,000 police and gendarmes mobilized made almost 400 arrests.
Deadly firecracker in the Bas-Rhin
Tradition has turned into drama. A 30-year-old man died after a mortar-type firecracker exploded on New Year's Eve in Haguenau (Bas-Rhin), near Strasbourg. According to the first elements of the investigation opened by the Strasbourg public prosecutor's office, the 30-year-old wanted to shoot fireworks in his garden during the accident. He was allegedly hit in the head by the firecracker explosion.
"It took place in a private setting," said a source familiar with the matter. The man did not use the firecracker that caused his death in the context of urban violence as it sometimes does. Despite the rapid intervention of the firefighters and the police, the 30-year-old could not be saved.
This accident is unfortunately not the only one to have touched the Bas-Rhin on Tuesday evening. According to the prefecture, 51 people were injured during the evening. The victims are between 4 and 57 years old and 20 of them are minors. Among these wounded, two of them "will have permanent consequences", specifies the prefecture of Bas-Rhin. More than 400 kg of firecrackers had been seized in recent days in the department.
Man kills himself while falling from Royal Bridge
Dramatic accident too, in Paris. A man, unknown at this point, lost his life during the first hours of 2020. Shortly before 1 a.m., police and firefighters were informed that a man had fallen several meters from the Royal Bridge (I ). The stranger was found on the bank on the Tuileries side and was declared dead at 1:27 a.m. The accident track is privileged.
Woman shot in the head
Murder as a friend, or just a stupid, drunk accident? Three men in their thirties and a young woman of 22 have been in police custody since Wednesday morning in the premises of the Hérault departmental security. Very alcoholic, they were placed in a sobering-up cell and were to be heard in the evening on Wednesday.
These three men and this woman are suspected of being involved in the death of a young 22-year-old woman found dead in her car, shot in the head. The victim was discovered at 6:45 am this Wednesday morning by the police near a Montpellier nightclub where she had spent the evening with the four people placed in police custody.
Originally from Avignon, the young woman and her friends had come to spend New Year's Eve in Montpellier. Investigators, who inspected the site for long minutes, discovered, near the vehicle and the body of the young woman, a handgun which seems to correspond to that which made it possible to kill the victim. According to concordant sources, this pistol belongs to one of the police.
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The police will now try to remake the film of the evening, to understand how the victim was killed. Because if the possibility of murder is envisaged, the investigators do not exclude an accidental act linked to the handling of a firearm by a drunk person. In any case, the drama seems to have been played out between the five friends. According to corroborating sources, the investigators are convinced that the shot was fired from the passenger compartment of the vehicle.