Forty-eight hours after the brutal killing of Aboubakar — a Muslim worshipper who was stabbed dozens of times early Friday morning inside a mosque in the small town of La Grand-Combe (Gard) — the suspected attacker, described as a man in his twenties and “potentially extremely dangerous,” remained at large as of Sunday.
Initially opened as a homicide case, the investigation has now been reclassified as premeditated murder, according to Abdelkrim Grini, the public prosecutor in Alès, who spoke with AFP. Authorities, including the Gard gendarmerie group, the Nîmes research brigade, and the judicial police, are actively working the case. Searches took place on Saturday across Gard and the neighboring Hérault department, according to a source close to the investigation.
What do we know about Olivier H.?
Information about the suspect has been limited so far. Identified only as “Olivier,” he was born in 2004 in Lyon, holds French nationality, and comes from a Christian Bosnian family with 11 children. He reportedly has no prior criminal record. According to a source cited by Le Parisien, Olivier is unemployed, receives welfare benefits (RSA), and spends much of his time playing video games. He lives with his family in public housing in La Grand-Combe, a town of fewer than 5,000 residents, located just north of Alès.