Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Caroline Mortimer

French couple shot dead in front of their children at home in Foulayronnes as they prepared to take them to school

A French couple have been shot dead in front of their children as they took them to school. 

The bodies of Éric Simon and his wife Stéphanie Marcassa, both 42, were found outside their home in the village of Foulayronnes near Agen in southwest France. 

The regional director of a construction company and his wife were killed at around 8.30am on Wednesday morning as they prepared to take their two children, aged 5 and 10,  to school, Le Point reports.

Regional newspaper Sud-Ouest reported that one of the children witnessed the shooting. 

He reportedly told police he had seen a man wearing a dark hood shoot his parents before fleeing the scene in a dark car.

The vehicle was found near the crime scene later that afternoon

One child is reported to have fled the scene and was found on a nearby road. 

The other hid in the family home and called the police. 

They were later taken to hospital to be treated for shock and are being looked after by the local authorities.

A man called Jean-Claude Petitfaux - who is believed to be a former employee of Mr Simon - was arrested in connection with the shooting on Thursday morning in a supermarket car park after a nine-hour police manhunt.

Before his arrest, local police tweeted a photograph of Mr Petitfaux - warning people to stay away as he was believed to be "armed and dangerous".

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.