Brittany shooting – latest: British girl killed during Saint Herbot barbecue over reported land dispute
An 11-year-old girl from a British family has been shot dead in France and her father is fighting for his life following an attack on Saturday night.
The girl was reportedly playing on the swings while the family was having a barbecue in their garden in the village of Saint-Herbot in Brittany, western France, when a neighbour allegedly fired several shots at them at around 10pm local time.
The suspect – a 71-year-old Dutch national named as Dirk Raats – was arrested along with his wife, prosecutors said.
The child’s father, who was reportedly shot in the head, is in a critical condition at a hospital, while her mother received non-life-threatening injuries.
The girl’s eight-year-old sister managed to escape unhurt but was left in a state of “shock” after witnessing the shooting. According to a local resident, she raised the alarm, shouting: "My sister is dead, my sister is dead".
The killing of the British girl comes just days after another three-year-old British girl was among four children and two adults who were stabbed in a park by a man in Annecy in eastern France.
British girl shot dead during barbecue in France as father fights for life
08:20 , Tara Cobham
An 11-year-old girl from a British family has been shot dead in France and her father is fighting for his life following an attack on Saturday night.
The girl was reportedly playing on the swings while the family was having a barbecue in their garden in the village of Saint-Herbot in Brittany, western France, when a neighbour allegedly fired several shots at them at around 10pm local time.
The suspect – a 71-year-old Dutch national – was arrested along with his wife, prosecutors said.
The child’s father, who was reportedly shot in the head, is in a critical condition at a hospital, while her mother received non-life-threatening injuries.
The girl’s eight-year-old sister managed to escape unhurt but was left in a state of “shock” after witnessing the shooting.
A local resident said that the younger girl raised the alarm after the shooting, shouting: "My sister is dead, my sister is dead".
A British foreign office spokesperson said they were providing assistance to the family.
Marguerite Bleuzen, the mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, said the attack was believed to be in connection to a land “dispute between neighbours” from past three years.
The killing of the British girl comes just days after another three-year-old British girl was among four children and two adults who were stabbed in a park by a man in Annecy in eastern France.
A map of where the shooting happened
08:23 , Tara Cobham
A map shows where the shooting happened in the village of Saint-Herbot in Brittany, western France, on Saturday night.
The British family was enjoying a barbecue in their garden when a neighbour fired several shots at them, killing the schoolgirl and seriously injuring the father.
Girl shot dead ‘while playing on the swings'
08:51 , Tara Cobham
The 11-year-old girl was reportedly playing on the swings when she was shot dead in her garden in France.
Her family was enjoying a barbecue at their home in Brittany when a neighbour fired several shots at them, killing her and leaving her father seriously wounded.
It was the 11-year-old’s younger sister, 8, who raised the alarm after witnessing the shooting, according to a local resident, shouting: "My sister is dead, my sister is dead.”
Pictures of Brittany scene where British schoolgirl was killed
09:01 , Tara Cobham
Attack connected to ‘dispute between neighbours’, suggests mayor
09:23 , Tara Cobham
Marguerite Bleuzen, the mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, said the attack was believed to be in connection to a land “dispute between neighbours” from past three years.
“We knew the family well. There is a village fete every year and they always came,” she said.
“It’s completely incomprehensible to have shot a child. This happened without any warning,” she added. “Nobody can understand how this could have happened.”
Girl’s younger sister screamed ‘my sister is dead’
09:52 , Tara Cobham
The girl’s eight-year-old sister raised the alarm after the shooting, according to a local resident, shouting: “My sister is dead, my sister is dead”.
The younger girl managed to escape unhurt but was left in a state of “shock” after witnessing the shooting.
“We heard noises and thought they – either the children or the parents – were playing with fireworks. Then the youngest girl came running to the neighbours shouting,” the neighbour who was not named said.
“We went and saw the girl was dead and her father and mother were injured.”
Two people were arrested
10:20 , Tara Cobham
Two people have been arrested following the shooting that killed the 11-year-old girl in her Saint-Herbot home.
The suspect – a 71-year-old Dutch national – was arrested along with his wife, prosecutors said.
Marguerite Bleuzen, the mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, said the attack was believed to be in connection to a land “dispute between neighbours” from the past three years.
Family named by French authorities
10:54 , Sam Rkaina
The 11-year-old British girl who was shot dead has been named as Solenne Thornton by French authorities.
Her eight-year-old sister has been identified as Celeste, while her parents, who are currently in hospital, have been named as Adrian and Rachel, 52 and 49 respectively.
Pupils at girl’s school receiving psychological care
11:40 , Tara Cobham
Pupils at Solenne Thornton's school were receiving psychological care today, following her death on Saturday.
Classes at the Jean-Jaurès college in Huelgoat resumed as normal on Monday morning, with a “medical monitoring team” in place.
Guylène Esnault, director of education services in the Finistere department, said: “This is a small area, and everyone knows each other. The children will have heard about what happened.
“The college principal will say what is appropriate to her students, and a monitoring team including a doctor, nurses and psychiatrists is in place.”
Solenne was in Year 6 at the college, which has around 150 students.
Mael de Calan, president of Finister's departmental council, said there was “stupor and consternation after the murder of an 11-year-old schoolgirl in Plonévez-du-Faou.
“Such a drama, between neighbours, reminds us that the rise of violence in our society must be fought unanimously.
“I send all my condolences to the girl's family and loved ones, and my most sincere thoughts to the teachers and students of the Huelgoat college.”
‘Dutchman first threatened family with rifle three years ago,’ say neighbours
12:43 , Tara Cobham
The Dutchman first threatened the family with a .22 rifle a far back as 2020, according to neighbours in the hamlet.
One said: “That’s what the dispute three years ago was all about – police were called because he was threatening the family with his rifle.
“The two families were always arguing, and the rifle escalated matters, but nobody ever believed that he would use it.”
The weapon was a licensed hunting rifle, and no effort was made to confiscate it by the police, or council officials.
The Dutchman regularly complained about the family cutting down trees to make way for children’s play equipment, including swings.
“He was also regularly upset about the noise the family made, even though it didn’t bother anyone else – it was mainly just kids having a nice time.”
The Dutchman’s wife was said to be a “pleasant neighbour” who “said hello to people”, but her husband was gruff and withdrawn.
Neighbour ‘fired at family with shotgun through hedge'
13:15 , Tara Cobham
The elderly neighbour reportedly fired at the family with a shotgun through the hedge.
The two sisters, Solenne and Celeste, were playing on the swings while their parents, Adrian and Rachel, were barbecuing, when a neighbour began firing at them with a shotgun through a hedge, reported the BBC.
Solene was killed in the attack and her parents were left injured.
‘The village is in shock’
13:45 , Tara Cobham
The village is “in shock”, according to the secretary of the nearest town hall in Plonevez-du-Faou.
Regine Guillot said the British family had lived in the hamlet for five years and that the Dutch neighbour was a private man.
"There were neighbourhood issues, yes, a hedge, a field, but nothing more than that, not that we were aware of," said Guillot. "The village is in shock."
‘Incomprehensible to have shot a child,’ says mayor
14:15 , Tara Cobham
Marguerite Bleuzen, Mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, said it is “incomprehensible to have shot a child”.
Ms Bleuzen said: “The family was well known and liked. There is a village fête every year and they always came.
“It’s incomprehensible to have shot a child. No one can understand how that could have happened.”
Family had been ‘threatened’ by suspect
14:45 , Tara Cobham
A neighbour said the family had been “threatened” by the suspect who “had weapons”.
“We knew that if anything went wrong, he had weapons,” she told Sky News. “The English family had been threatened by them and they’d already thrown their dogs at the English family’s two setter dogs
ICYMI: British toddler stabbed in French playground in separate incident
15:15 , Tara Cobham
In a separate incident that happened last week, a British girl on holiday with her family in France was among four toddlers and two adults stabbed in an “odious and unspeakable” attack in an open-air playground by a man armed with a knife.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as screaming mothers sought to protect children from the assailant, who rampaged around a lakeside park in Annecy, in the French Alps. At least one child was stabbed in a pram despite desperate efforts by a woman to push him aside.
Video showed the suspect – later identified as a Syrian father who came to Europe a decade ago as a refugee – slashing at his victims and shouting “in the name of Jesus Christ”.
British toddler among six stabbed in French playground horror
Alleged killer and wife named
15:41 , Tara Cobham
Solaine Thornton’s alleged killer was today named as Dutch national Dirk Raats, 71.
An investigating source said Raats remained in custody on Monday and was facing murder and attempted murder charges.
His wife, who was named as Marlene van Hook, also in her 70s, was being questioned on suspicion of concealing a weapon.
The couple were both retired and have lived in a converted school house in Saint-Herbot for six years, added the source.
Watch: Local resident speaks of feud between neighbours
16:15 , Tara Cobham
16:25 , Sam Rkaina
We’re pausing our live coverage of the shooting in Brittany but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.
