A 31-year-old teaching assistant was fatally stabbed by a 15-year-old student during a routine bag check at a middle school in Nogent, northeastern France, authorities said Tuesday. A police officer assisting with the checks sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The suspect, who had no prior criminal record, was subdued by gendarmes and taken into custody. About 300 students were placed under lockdown during the attack, which occurred as classes began at Françoise Dolto Middle School.
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the killing as part of a "senseless wave of violence" in a social media post. "While protecting our children, a teaching assistant lost her life," he wrote. "The nation is in mourning, and the government is mobilized to reduce crime."
Education Minister Élisabeth Borne traveled to Nogent to meet with school staff and law enforcement. She praised the "composure and dedication" of those who restrained the attacker and secured the campus.
Prime Minister François Bayrou called the proliferation of bladed weapons among youth a "critical" issue, urging stronger action against the "widespread scourge." Opposition leaders, including far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, accused the government of failing to curb rising violence in schools.
France has implemented random bag checks at schools this year amid increasing concerns over knife-related violence. Between March and April, authorities confiscated 186 knives and detained 32 individuals during such operations, the Interior Ministry reported.
The victim, who was stabbed multiple times, died in the hospital. Union representatives described her as "simply doing her job" by supervising students at the school entrance.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. Officials have not disclosed whether the suspect had a prior connection to the victim.
This marks the second fatal school stabbing in France this year, following an April attack in Nantes that left one dead and three injured. The Education Ministry has since expanded security measures, though critics argue more preventive measures are needed.