what we know about the attack on high school students with an ax on the RER E

A very violent attack inside the RER E. This Monday, November 4, in Seine-et-Marne, four people were injured during a brawl with axes on board a train in the train station. 'Ozoir-la-Ferrière (Seine-et-Marne)which gave rise to an arrest, we learned from police sources.

Around 8 a.m. in the RER E, a fight involving several people, including minors, broke out for a reason still unknown.
According to a police source, the four victims – minors aged 16 and 17 – were attacked on their way to school. They were transported to a hospital for treatment, added this source, specifying that their vital prognosis has not been engaged.

According to RTL information, when the police arrived at Ozoir-la-Ferrière station in Seine-et-Marnetwo miners were sitting on a bench, both slightly injured in the head, back and hand.

Two other victims were inside the train. One is seriously injured in the head, her skull split open, the other is injured all over her body, her hand severed. Witnesses met on site described a violent brawl. According to their testimonies, around ten hooded individuals waited for the RER to arrive at the station before entering to fight with several young people.

A teenager arrested, an ax found at his home

The main accused, aged 16, was arrested at his home in Ozoir-la-Ferrière and placed in police custody, a police source told AFP. An ax was found and seized during the search. The fight took place while the train was at the platform, so that “neither RER E traffic nor that of the station was impacted”, the SNCF was told.

According to our information, it was thanks to witnesses on site, who claimed to have clearly identified him, that the arrest took place. “The facts are probably linked to a fight between gangs and not to drug trafficking, subject to the result of the investigation conducted by the Melun judicial court“, specified the Paris police prefect and the prefect of Seine-et-Marne in a joint press release.

“The number of patrols on the RER E line has been increased“, also added the prefect of police, responsible for transport security for the entire Ile-de-France region. The perpetrators used several bladed weapons: knife, axe, katana and baseball bats. The investigation, opened for intentional violence in meetings, was entrusted to the Torcy central police station.

Read more