(Image source: BBC News )

 

BY NATHAN BYRNE

A gunman. On a scooter. Police say he’s targeting ethnic groups.

 

Four dead this time at a Jewish school in southern France.


Reporters for the BBC and euronews describe a scene that’s been repeated three times in 10 days.

“This is the same method that was used on Thursday when three soldiers were shot outside their barracks just north of Toulouse, and they were of ethnic origin.”

“ … another serviceman was gunned down in Toulouse in similar circumstances by an attacker on a motorbike. Prosecutors have said the incidents may be linked and that an anti-terrorism investigation has been opened.”

On NBC’s Today , Matt Lauer brought up the fact that motorbikes are a pretty common form of transportation in France and questioned the targeted-groups theory.

MATT LAUER: “Are there any other similarities in the crime? On the one hand, you’ve got soldiers, on the other hand you have students.”

MICHELLE KOSINSKI: “They think the caliber may have been the same of the weapon in this shooting today involving the schoolchildren.”

The Telegraph reports — the head of the Jewish students union of France said, quote, “anti-Semetic and racist speech has created a climate of insecurity for Jews in France.”

A foreign ministry spokesman for Israel tells RT the country is horrified by the act of barbarism, but he’s confident French authorities will, quote, “shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice.”

Meanwhile, the attention on these killings could also have political implications. CNN ’s senior international correspondent explains.

“ … this comes in the middle of the presidential campaign here. So, President Sarkozy is on his way down to Toulouse this morning. ... Socialist candidate Francois Hollande is also headed for Toulouse this morning … ”

According to Al Jazeera , France has Europe’s largest Jewish community — at nearly 700,000 people.