A 34-year-old man who took refuge this Saturday afternoon at his home in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges killed himself with a handgun, indicate the mayor of the town and the prosecution.
The individual was registered in a shooting club and had "weapons", said the prosecutor of the Republic of Epinal, Rémy Heitz.
At the beginning of the afternoon, the victim had sent text messages to his ex-partner, from whom he was in the process of separation, indicating to her "that he had weapons and that he was going to kill his own life" and potentially attacking other people, continued the mayor of Saint-Dié, David Valence, confirming information from the regional daily Vosges Matin.
His ex-companion then gave the alert and the national and municipal police of Saint-Dié quickly secured the premises: "All the close people, in particular the immediate neighbors, were evacuated", continued David Valence.
No police shooting
Raid police officers then arrived on the scene and, after the usual summons, "kicked down the door" of the accommodation and discovered the thirty-something who "had not died very long ago".
There was no shooting from the police, said Rémy Heitz.
According to the first elements, the man probably killed himself with a handgun, specifies the mayor of the town.
He would not have supported the separation from his companion, "it seems it is the reason that he indicated to him", he added.
The couple had a 6-year-old child, the prosecutor said.
The Epinal prosecutor's office "requested the transport of the body to the forensic institute of Nancy for an external examination and toxicological analyzes".
An investigation to find the causes of death was entrusted to the police station of Saint-Dié, added the magistrate.