It was the deceased’s wife, with whom he was in the process of divorcing, who alerted the Séranon gendarmes this Monday morning, because the man allegedly threatened by telephone to “blow up everything”.
The Séranon gendarmes quickly went to the scene, avenue Notre Dame, as did PSIG from Grasse, who quickly secured the perimeter.
When the firefighters, commanded by Lieutenant Sébastien Paba, arrived on site, the two-level chalet was still ablaze.
But they had to wait for the signal from the gendarmes, under the orders of Captain Langlet and the commander of the Grasse company, Mathieu Jarnigon, to intervene because the owner, a sports shooter who owned many weapons, could prove dangerous.
His inert body, head impacted, was finally found 200 meters upstream, with an assault rifle and a cartridge case at his side. The investigation was entrusted to the Cannes Research Brigade, but suicide is favored.
Also on site, criminal identity technicians from Nice, as well as the Cynophile brigade from Gilette to carry out reconnaissance, and check that the house does not harbor explosives.
Several detonations were heard earlier by the evacuated neighborhood, but these were probably munitions that were hit by the fire.
The charred house still threatens to collapse, and the 22 firefighters involved must be careful for their next reconnaissance missions.
Photo Jackie Dieren.
