Five killed in shootings near Dunkirk, suspect hands himself in

A man who turned himself in saying he was responsible for five murders in northern France on Saturday, December 14, had no criminal record, authorities said Sunday.

The 22-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Saturday after surrendering at a police station in Ghyvelde just outside the Channel port city of Dunkirk around 5:20 pm on Saturday afternoon – two hours after the first killing.

He is “unknown to the police service and judicial authorities,” Dunkirk’s chief prosecutor Charlotte Huet said in a statement. “Many inquiries are underway,” prosecutor Huet said, especially “to clarify the reasons that led the suspect to commit these crimes.”

A charge of murder combined with other crimes and possession of restricted firearms, five of which were found in the suspect’s car, carries a maximum sentence of life in jail. The case has been assigned to the organized and specialized crime division (DCOS) of the Northern interdepartmental judicial police service, according to the press release.

The prosecutor stressed that “numerous investigations are underway,” in particular to “shed light on the reasons that led the accused to commit these crimes.” A source familiar with the case said police are investigating whether the man had a professional falling-out with the companies where the first three victims worked.

All five murders were committed within less than two hours in the Dunkirk area. A first 29-year-old man was killed with several gunshots outside his house in Wormhout, a village just south of the city, prosecutors said. The local town hall hailed the man as a local business owner who ran a trucking company.

Then at around 4 pm, two security guards aged 33 and 37 were killed as they patrolled an industrial zone adjacent to the port in Loon-Plage, just west of Dunkirk. Tributes were posted on Facebook to the two men, known locally for working as bouncers at carnival events.

Minutes later, still on the outskirts of Loon-Plage, two final victims believed to be Iranians aged 19 and 30 were shot dead. Local police and the prefecture said the men were living in a local camp for migrants.

A large police force was deployed on Saturday evening to block access to the route de Mardyck, leading to the port area, where one of the many migrant camps on the coast is located.

Many migrants hoping to reach Britain make their way to northern France before attempting perilous Channel crossings in small inflatable boats.