Forensic police in the garden of the house of 11-year-old Solaine Thornton, who was killed by her Dutch neighbor in the village of Saint-Herbot (Brittany, France), on June 12, 2023.
Thierry Creux | EFE
The first indications point to family disputes as the motive for the crime
An 11-year-old girl lost her life and her parents were seriously injured after she was shot by a neighbor in the town of Plonévez-du-Faou in Brittany, western France, this Saturday.
The tragedy happened when the family, consisting of a British couple in their 40s and their two young daughters, were in the garden of their house preparing a barbecue. They lived in Brittany for about four years, writes the local press.
Her neighbor, a 71-year-old Dutch pensioner, for unknown reasons, shot four family members with a rifle and killed 11-year-old Solenne.
The parents, Adrien and Rachel Thournon, were seriously injured. The man was shot in the head and his life is in danger. The mother was shot with two shots, one in the head and the other in the back. The couple’s other 8-year-old daughter escaped unharmed because she managed to escape to a neighbor’s house and was the one who raised the alarm.
Quimper prosecutor Carine Halley explained that for years there had been a conflict between the two neighbors over a plot of land that bordered their properties. According to the local newspaper telegram methe attacker, who also complained about the noise, had previously threatened the neighbors with a weapon.
Authorities arrested the killer, who had lived in Plonévez-du-Fau for six or seven years. After shooting at his neighbors, the Dutchman barricaded himself in his house with his wife. A gendarmerie negotiator managed to convince him to surrender.
The Quimper public prosecutor’s office announced that it had opened an investigation against the attacker for the “intentional killing of a child under 15” and “intentional attempted murder.”
Source: La Vozde Galicia
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
