A high school student was killed and three others were wounded in a stabbing at Toutes-Aides private high school in Nantes, France, on Thursday afternoon, according to French police. The victim is reported to be a girl.
According to a police spokesperson, the attacker was also a high school student, Justin P. aged 15. He was overpowered by teachers before police arrived, and was then arrested at the scene.
A police spokesperson said there was no indication of a terrorist motive.
French media reported that at least three other victims are receiving treatment from emergency services.
According to Le Point, citing sources involved in the case, the attacker is a second-year student at the high school, and was not known to either the police or intelligence services.
Le Point added that police are investigating whether he had a disagreement with the deceased, whom he stabbed first before moving inside the school and stabbing three others. French radio station Europe1 reported that the attacker stabbed a female student after an argument on the second floor of the high school before stabbing three others on the first floor.
Witness accounts
"We only see this on television. We didn't think it could happen in our school," a final-year student told Ouest-France.
Nolan, a second-year student, told Ouest-France: "I was in the foyer, we saw a lot of people running around the courtyard, I heard that someone had a knife. We didn't know whether to believe it. Then we saw someone from IT holding the door to the high school building, he was yelling at us to get out. We took refuge with the middle school students. I just learned that a student has died..."
According to Ouest-France's sources, the attacker was dressed all in black, and was also wearing a helmet and a balaclava. Two knives were found near his belongings.
Attaque au couteau au lycée Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides de #Nantes : témoignage d’une élève présente au moment de l’attaque.« Tout le monde est paniqué, on entend plein de choses de tous les côtés, on est sûrs que c’est une attaque d’un élève de seconde, un garçon ». pic.twitter.com/8tOMVi5N3Z
— CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) April 24, 2025
Just ten minutes before the attack, high school students at the school received a strange email from Justin P. containing a thirteen page document full of antisemitic content titled "Immune Action - Revolt is already the greatest victory we can achieve."
According to Ouest-France, the email also referenced "ecocide, institutional violence, and the system of colonization of the unconscious."
BFMTV channel viewed the document, which it called "confusing."