Users of a video game website helped thwart a plot to assassinate the French President Emmanuel Macron, it has been revealed.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a planned assassination attempt of Macron, which was planned to take place on July 14 during a parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The parade was set to host guest of honor President Trump, with the suspect wanting to use the parade to also attack “blacks, Arabs, Jews and homosexuals,” according to a French police report obtained by BFMTV (via CNN).
A self-described far right nationalist, the suspect told police that he wanted to make a political statement by killing Macron, with them now investigating whether he was operating as part of a wider network. His plot was foiled by users of a popular unnamed video game website, with him sharing details of his plans with them that were then collected and passed on to the authorities. Among the evidence shared by the users was a comment in which the suspect described buying a Kalashnikov assault rifle in order to commit an attack.
Donald Trump is set to attend the French event in which the assassination attempt was planned to take place. (Image Credit: MANDEL NGAN / Getty Images)
The man was indicted with terrorism offenses on Saturday (July 1), with French police sharing details of the arrest earlier today. Anti-terrorism police arrived at the suspect’s house in the suburb of Argenteuil, with him threatening them with a knife before he was apprehended. It was also revealed that he had received a three year prison sentence last year for “condoning terrorism” and “spreading racial hate,” 18 months of which were suspended. Data seized on the man’s computer revealed that he supported Anders Behring Breivik, the neo-Nazi who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
The France national celebration attended by Trump will feature a huge security presence, with thousands of French and American troops set to gather at the Champs Elysee and the Place de la Concorde in order to ensure the safety of those present.
