# The Toulouse shooter, now that we know who he is . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423 "2012-03-21T17:05:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/1 "2012-03-21T17:05:46Z")
(one Mohammed Merah, 23, born in Toulouse, and currently in a house there surrounded by police as of 25 minutes ago according to [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/world/europe/france-shooting/index.html)) Is Hereby Pitted. > [@](#): > > Toulouse, France (CNN) – About 300 police officers surrounded an apartment in the south of France Wednesday, trying to coax a man whom authorities called a self-styled al Qaeda jihadist to surrender after a series of shootings that left seven people dead. > > \ > > Merah had been under surveillance by French intelligence for years, the interior minister said. > > He had “already committed certain infractions, some with violence,” Gueant said. > > He was in a Toulouse court February 24 for causing an accident with injuries and driving without a license and was sentenced to a month in jail, his lawyer Christian Etelin said on BFM-TV. > > He has not begun serving that sentence, Etelin said. > > Gueant said the suspect had a car containing more weapons near his apartment. > > Merah is accused of killing seven people in the last 10 days: a rabbi and three children at a Jewish school on Monday, and three soldiers of North African origin who had recently returned from Afghanistan in two earlier incidents. 😕 . . . Jews and . . .North Africans . . . but Merah’s background is presumably something of MENA origin . . . Can’t **wait** to hear this dude’s ideology. Whatever it is, killing kids for it, not cool, dude, hope you get hurt but don’t die when they take you. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/2 "2012-03-21T18:26:33Z")
Here’s hoping this guy’s rampage ends here. Preferably by arrest, as much as my bloodthirsty side would like otherwise. And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? I guess even I’m capable of forgetting that lunacy and evil know no race. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/3 "2012-03-21T18:37:36Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 . . . Jews and . . .North Africans . . . but Merah’s background is presumably something of MENA origin . . . Can’t **wait** to hear this dude’s ideology. It’s obvious isn’t it? “Self styled al-Qaida jihadist” You seem to be hung up on the race of the soldiers he killed and forgetting that they are French soldiers in Afghanistan who are fighting Al Qaida. Don’t look at the world through race colored glasses, **BrainGlutton**. North African descent has nothing to do with it. Being opposed to radical Islam does. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/4 "2012-03-21T19:00:51Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? I guess even I’m capable of forgetting that lunacy and evil know no race. Not an unreasonable first guess, all things considered. We just need to remember that when one kind of terrorist nutcase makes the headlines, the other kinds do not go into retirement. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/5 "2012-03-21T19:37:09Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > Here’s hoping this guy’s rampage ends here. Preferably by arrest, as much as my bloodthirsty side would like otherwise. > > And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? I guess even I’m capable of forgetting that lunacy and evil know no race. Breivik liked Jews so I doubted it was someone like him and thought it more likely to be a wannabe Al Quaeda. Anyway, why are people surprised he would target soldiers who were of North African origin? From his POV they’re traitors and he’d hate them even more than white ones. I do think it’s hilarious that his lawyer is named Christian. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/6 "2012-03-21T20:08:42Z")
[QUOTE=The Man With The Golden Gun] And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? I guess even I’m capable of forgetting that lunacy and evil know no race. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I’m a bit surprised by this turn of events. I was reading an article on the shootings the other day and the person who wrote it was pretty sure this was the work of the French right wing, or someone associated with it anyway. I figured the killing of the soldiers in particular seemed to point towards that, though I have to admit I have only a nebulous understanding of French politics, especially their right wing politics. I know that there is a wide undercurrent in Europe of right wing (European style) type racism, especially concerning immigrants, who seem very threatening to some folks in Europe…and France is definitely one of the countries where there seems to be a non-zero number of folks so threatened by the idea of immigrants coming in. It’s different than US racism, from what I understand, in that it’s not really about the color of their skin so much as the fact that the immigrants are bringing in different cultural ideas and mores that cut against the grain of the indigenous population, who is more into conformity to the norm. Jobs are also an issue, but again, it’s different than how the US looks at these sorts of things. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/7 "2012-03-21T20:12:54Z")
Just yesterday my Middle-Eastern coworker Mohamed was telling me what problems he has in airports, being pulled aside and searched. I just now told him they ID’d the French shooter and he is a Middle-Eastern guy named Mohamed. “Oh, _crap_,” says Mohamed. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/8 "2012-03-21T20:24:59Z")
All I can think is – French surveillance must really suck if this guy can kill 7 people in 10 days while being under it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/9 "2012-03-21T20:28:21Z")
I thought Inspector Clouseau was dead, or at least retired. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/10 "2012-03-21T20:31:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > All I can think is – French surveillance must really suck if this guy can kill 7 people in 10 days while being under it. Actually, I think “surveillance” in that context was a mistranslation of “voyeurism.” (Easy to mix 'em up, they’re both French.) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/11 "2012-03-21T20:57:05Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? On another board I frequent there was a lot of speculation in that direction on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/12 "2012-03-21T20:59:58Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > And am I the only one who after hearing about the shootings thought that this guy was some Anders Breivik-style Neo-Nazi type and was surprised that it was (presumably) an Islamist terrorist? Eh… seemed rather obvious to me. Targeting soldiers who’d fought against Islamists, and Jewish children? Didn’t fit the Neo-Nazi MO. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/13 "2012-03-21T21:35:20Z")
They don’t guillotine any more, do they? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/14 "2012-03-21T21:42:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > They don’t guillotine any more, do they? [Not since 1981.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine) ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/15 "2012-03-21T21:48:03Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Eh… seemed rather obvious to me. Targeting soldiers who’d fought against Islamists, and Jewish children? Didn’t fit the Neo-Nazi MO. And Marine LePen is doing a celebratory jig all the hell over French TV. I will say something for French laïcité- it’s a commendable ideal. It also means you get representatives from all religions showing up, kissing each other hello and giving a collective denunciation of extremisim. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/16 "2012-03-21T22:02:17Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > t’s different than US racism, from what I understand, in that it’s not really about the color of their skin so much as the fact that the immigrants are bringing in different cultural ideas and mores that cut against the grain of the indigenous population, who is more into conformity to the norm. Jobs are also an issue, but again, it’s different than how the US looks at these sorts of things. Not sure it’s that different, really; I suspect most illegal immigration opponents in the U.S. would give a reason much like the one you ascribe to the French. “Just because of the color of their skin” is a convenient shorthand we all apply, but it’s seldom meant literally. Most people aren’t innately horrified by the color brown. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/17 "2012-03-21T22:53:09Z")
Three explosions in Toulouse. Looks like the police are going in. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/18 "2012-03-21T23:25:41Z")
Does anyone know if any of the kids had skittles or iced tea? Pretty sure that’s a rock solid defence. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/19 "2012-03-22T00:02:36Z")
I really, **really** hope that they can get him alive so that he can be tried for his crimes. To be honest, I was stunned to hear that he hadn’t turned the gun on himself after killing those people, since that seems to be the standard crazy shooter strategy. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423/20 "2012-03-22T00:10:43Z")
I’ve always wondered why this type of terrorist attack hasn’t occurred much more often. Lone gunman randomly killing people. Here’s hoping it doesn’t start a trend. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toulouse-shooter-now-that-we-know-who-he-is/616423.md?page=2)