BESANCON, France — A 17-year-old wielding a pair of 12-inch swords was apprehended by French police after he took 21 nursery school students and their teacher hostage. The hostages were held for several hours, but the teacher said she did not believe they were in any real danger.
The hostage taker, who was suicidal, contacted the police himself after entering the school. The teacher, Nathalie Roffet, told AFP that she witnessed the young man crying on the phone during negotiations. He released most of the students over the course of the morning, eventually leaving himself alone with Roffet.
Police entered the classroom and overpowered the teenager with a Taser and took him into custody.
Education Minister Luc Chatel applauded the teacher’s ability to stay calm and talk with the youth over the several hours in which she and her students were held hostage. The young man was a college student and had no previous conflicts with law enforcement.
