Two pensioners allegedly shot after trying to stop man setting fire to mosque

28 October 2019, 17:56

The Mosque of Bayonne where the incident reportedly took place
The Mosque of Bayonne where the incident reportedly took place. Picture: Getty

By Megan White

A man has been arrested for allegedly shooting two elderly men who caught him trying to set fire to the door of a mosque.

He reportedly threw an incendiary device before fleeing the scene and was arrested at his home nearby.

The victims, aged 74 and 78, are said to be in a serious condition after the attack in Bayonne, France.

The regional governor said the alleged gunman was quickly detained at his home in another area after the incident.

His identity has not been made public and his motive was not immediately known.

Police have secured the area around the mosque.

Patrice Peyruqueou, a police union official in Bayonne, told the Daily Telegraph: “The suspect threw an incendiary device at the mosque and then fled in his car.

“He was arrested outside his home.”

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