His hunt was followed by millions of viewers, caught up in the live news channels continuously.
He was then nicknamed "the scooter killer", without knowing that his name was Mohamed Merah, that he was an Islamist terrorist, the first of a long line.
On March 11, 2012, he executed a non-commissioned officer, Imad Ibn Ziaten, before committing another crime four days later, targeting three soldiers who were withdrawing money from an ATM – only one survived.
And then, on March 19, he sowed terror in the Jewish school Ozar Hatorah, in Toulouse, killing four people, including three children.
France is then in turmoil and the special forces, on the alert.
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