Nanterre massacre

Nanterre massacre
City hall of Nanterre
Location	Nanterre, France
Date	March 27, 2002 1:15 a.m. (CEST)
Target	Nanterre town hall
Attack type	Mass murder, Massacre
Weapon(s)	Two 9mm Glock pistols S&W revolver (.357 Magnum)
Death(s)	9 (including the perpetrator)
Injured	19
Perpetrator(s)	Richard Durn

The Nanterre massacre refers to an act of mass murder that occurred on March 27, 2002, in Nanterre, France. 33-year-old gunman Richard Durn opened fire at the end of a council meeting, resulting in the deaths of 8 councilors, and the injuries of 19 others. Durn committed suicide the following day, by leaping from a police station window during questioning.

The shooting

At approximately 1:15 a.m. (CEST), at the Nanterre town hall, following a meeting of the municipal council chaired by Mayor Jacqueline Fraysse, Richard Durn rose from his seat, removed firearms previously hidden under his jacket, and opened fire. Durn killed eight councilors and injured 19 others; 14 critically, before being overpowered by Gerard Perreau-Bezouille and other councilors. Once overpowered, Durn began shouting, "Kill me!"

Following events

Durn was interrogated at the police station at 36 Quai des Orfèvres, Paris, on March 28. After confessing, Durn committed suicide by throwing himself from the fourth floor window.

Durn had sent a letter to a friend in which he explained his plan: "Because I have by my own will become a kind of living-dead, I have decided to end it all by killing a small local elite which is the symbol of, and who are the leaders and decision makers in, a city that I have always detested." He explained that he intended to kill the mayor, "and then as many people as possible [...] I will become a serial killer, a mad killer. Why? Because I am frustrated and I do not want to die alone, because I have had a shitty life. I want to feel powerful and free just once."

The perpetrator

Richard Durn

The perpetrator in the shootings was Richard Durn, 33, who was originally from Slovenia. He held a Masters degree in political science and a degree in history. According to the police, Durn was an environmental activist, and a former member of the Socialist Party before joining the Greens. He was also a member of the Ligue des droits de l'homme.

Response

An official tribute was paid to the victims on April 2, in the presence of President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant.

Impact

The massacre was discussed by French philosopher Bernard Stiegler in his book, Acting Out. Stiegler argues that Durn's feeling of non-existence was symptomatic of a society which tends to destroy the love of oneself and others, and that Durn's actions represent a "hyper-diachronic" acting out which is made possible by this feeling of non-existence.

See also

• List of massacres in France

External links

"Eight dead in Paris shooting". BBC News. March 27, 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1895751.stm. Retrieved February 17, 2007.  La tuerie de Nanterre - La très résistible dérive d'un paumé. Le forcené se suicide.