A city councillor was attacked with a knife at her home by the young man she was housing as part of a program.

A municipal councillor in the town of Guérande (Loire-Atlantique) was killed Tuesday at her home and the suspect, whom she was housing, was taken into care by the emergency services, it was learned Thursday from the prosecutor's office.

Catherine Bailhache, an opposition city councilor, was attacked with a knife Wednesday afternoon at her home, Saint-Nazaire public prosecutor Florence Sroda explained in a statement. She died at the scene "despite the rapid intervention of emergency services." According to Ouest-France, the victim was 78 years old.

The accused is a 34-year-old man whom she had been housing for about ten days as part of "an association program to help young workers," the prosecutor's office said.

Neutralized by a soldier

Holed up in a closet when law enforcement arrived, the suspect then emerged "screaming and armed with a knife, ready to strike the first gendarme in the intervention team."

"He was then neutralized by a shot from the service weapon of one of the PSIG soldiers, which struck him in the shoulder," according to the statement. Seriously wounded, the suspect was taken to the hospital. He is not known to the police or the justice system.

Investigation opened

"It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Catherine Bailhache, municipal councillor. In these painful moments, I send, on behalf of the municipality and in my own name, my warmest thoughts to her family and loved ones," reacted the mayor of Guérande, Nicolas Criaud (DVC).

The investigation opened for voluntary homicide and attempted voluntary homicide against persons holding public authority has been entrusted to the research brigade of the gendarmerie company of Saint Nazaire.