Murder in a Mosque in Gard: Retailleau Visits as Anti-Muslim Motive Under Investigation

Two days after the murder of a worshipper at the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard), Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau traveled to the scene this Sunday, April 27. His visit coincided with a white march held in the afternoon to pay tribute to the victim, a young Malian man fatally stabbed dozens of times.

“Solidarity” and “Mobilization” in the Face of Tragedy

Speaking from the Alès sub-prefecture, the minister delivered “a message of compassion” to the victim’s relatives, expressed “solidarity” with the Muslim community, and affirmed the “mobilization” of authorities to advance the investigation. Retailleau stressed that “the possibility of an anti-Muslim act is not being ruled out,” adding that it is “the primary focus of the investigation, though other leads are also being explored.”

The public prosecutor of Alès, Abdelkrim Grini, confirmed that the investigation—now reclassified as “murder with premeditation”—is considering all possibilities: “Certain elements may suggest that this was not the sole motive.”

The Suspect Remains at Large

The alleged perpetrator, Olivier H., a 20-year-old French national previously unknown to police or judicial services, is still on the run. According to the prosecutor, authorities are conducting “a true manhunt” to locate and arrest him, amid fears he could carry out further attacks.

In a video recorded immediately after the assault and briefly shared on social media, the attacker claimed responsibility for the killing, insulted Allah, and stated his intention “to make more victims.”

Bruno Retailleau announced that a “strike force” of 70 investigators from Montpellier, Nîmes, Paris, and other regions has been deployed to speed up the manhunt.

Nationwide Outpouring of Emotion

The death of Aboubakar, a regular attendee of the mosque, has deeply moved the town of La Grand-Combe. In addition to the white march held in his memory this Sunday, an anti-Islamophobia rally took place later in the evening at Place de la République in Paris.

Political leaders also reacted: President Emmanuel Macron condemned “racism and hatred based on religion” in a post on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that “freedom of worship is inviolable.”