A 24-year-old man has been praised because the “backpack hero” for confronting a suspect who had stabbed a British woman and 5 others in a French park, utilizing his bag as a protect. Henri, who was on a nine-month Catholic pilgrimage around France’s cathedrals, acted on instinct to guard the kids current in the course of the assault.
Four youngsters, aged between 22 months and three years old, suffered life-threatening injuries after the suspect, a Syrian refugee recognized by French media as Abdalmasih H, went on a rampage in a lakeside park in Annecy. Two grownup males had been also injured in the course of the incident. Strange used his bag to swipe at the attacker and threw one of the backpacks to fend off the assailant’s blade.
“I didn’t even assume, I should admit the brain really unplugged,” Henri advised broadcaster BFMTV. “For me, it was just impossible to let those that can’t defend themselves get attacked by someone who appeared like a crazy individual.”
President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the victims would “continue to enhance.” The two most critically injured kids have been stabilised, and the three-year-old British nationwide is “awake and watching television” after being treated at a hospital in Grenoble.
Macron thanked those that intervened, saying, “You experienced very hard moments, traumatising. I am very proud of you.” The motives for the assault remain unknown, however local prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis acknowledged there was “no apparent terrorist motive.”
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that the 31-year-old suspect had recently had an asylum request rejected because he held refugee status in Sweden for the previous 10 years. French authorities rejected the request on April 26, but the suspect solely realized of the decision on June 4, based on French broadcaster BFMTV..