A middle-aged man with a history of family problems shot himself dead Thursday in a Paris primary school near the Eiffel Tower, in front of about a dozen stunned children. The man, who was not affiliated with the school, forced his way into the institution in central Paris at 11:30 am (0930 GMT), pushing aside two adults who tried to stop him, Francois Weil, the city's top educational official said.
A police source said the man, who is in his 50s, had a history of family violence and entered the reception area of the school from an adjoining building and not the main entrance. Earlier reports from police put him in his 60s and said the incident took place in a nursery school. The man, who was in an agitated state, had some papers with him and a sawn-off shotgun, which he then fired from under his jaw. A part of his face was blown off.
"I heard a shot. I saw all the blood. I saw the man. I saw the man fall back when he shot himself. It was horrible," a schoolgirl told France's Europe 1 radio. A psychological support team was sent to the school. Police are investigating the motive for the suicide, which came as children were leaving for their lunch break.