France - Solaine Thornton, 11, UK national, shot and killed, father & mother severely injured, Dirk Raats, 71, in custody - Saint-Herbot, 10 Jun 2023

[Luwin]

Brittany: Girl from British family shot dead in France named

The girl was playing on a swing in her garden when a neighbour shot her through a hedge.

www.bbc.co.uk

An 11-year-old girl from a British family who was shot dead while playing on a swing in her garden in France has been named as Solaine Thornton.
The family were having a barbecue on Saturday evening when the shooting happened in the village of Saint-Herbot, north of Quimper in Brittany.
Her parents, Adrian and Rachel Thornton, were also hurt and are in hospital.
Her father suffered serious injuries, local media reported.

The girl and her eight-year-old sister were playing on a swing as their parents tended the barbecue, when a neighbour began firing at them with a shotgun through a hedge.
The younger girl ran to another neighbour's house to raise the alarm and is now said to be in shock.
A local resident told French media that the younger child ran to neighbours shouting: "My sister is dead, my sister is dead".
The suspect, described as a 71-year-old Dutch national, reportedly shut himself in his house following the incident but eventually surrendered to police and was arrested along with his wife.

 

[dotr]

Solaine Thornton, 11, was shot and killed as she played on a swing with her sister in the garden of their family home at about 10pm on Saturday

British girl, 11, shot dead in French neighbour dispute in France

Solaine Thornton, 11, was killed as she played on a swing with her sister in the garden of their home in the small hamlet in Saint-Herbot, in Brittany, western France at about 10pm on Saturday evening.

www.dailymail.co.uk

''Solaine's sister Celeste, 8, reportedly ran screaming, 'My sister is dead, my sister is dead', as her parents Adrien, 52, and Rachael, 49, were also reportedly gunned down.

'How is she going to get over that? It will live with her forever,' grandfather Irvin Thornton said of Solaine's younger sister following the horrific ordeal.

The grandfather also revelated that his son, Solaine's dad, Adrien is in a coma after he was shot in the head while the mother Rachael was reportedly shot twice in the head and back. Celeste was unharmed but in a state of shock.

It comes as Solaine's alleged killer was today named as Dutch national Dirk Raats. The 71-year-old is now facing murder and attempted murder charges. During a search of the home, police also uncovered a large amount of cannabis.

A neighbour described him as 'little guy with long white hair, a long beard, and completely wild-looking'. ''

''Raats' wife, who was named as Marlene van Hook, also in her 70s, was being questioned on suspicion of concealing a weapon.

The couple were both retired and have lived in a converted school house in Saint-Herbot for six years, said a source.''

''It is believed the Dutchman first threatened the family with a .22 rifle a far back as 2020, according to neighbours in the hamlet.

One said: 'That's what the dispute three years ago was all about – police were called because he was threatening the family with his rifle. The two families were always arguing, and the rifle escalated matters, but nobody ever believed that he would use it.'''

 

[ifindedout]

British girl, 11, shot dead in French neighbour dispute in France

Solaine Thornton, 11, was killed as she played on a swing with her sister in the garden of their home in the small hamlet in Saint-Herbot, in Brittany, western France at about 10pm on Saturday evening.

www.dailymail.co.uk

She and her family had been enjoying the warm evening in the garden of their home in the hamlet of Saint-Herbot, near Quimper, when the Dutch neighbour shot at them several times, French prosecutors say.

Solaine's sister Celeste, 8, reportedly ran screaming, 'My sister is dead, my sister is dead', as her parents Adrien, 52, and Rachael, 49, were also reportedly gunned down.

[...]

The grandfather also revealed that his son Adrien is in a coma after he was shot in the head. The mother Rachael was also reportedly shot twice in the head and back while Celeste was said to be unharmed but in a state of shock.

It comes as Solaine's alleged killer was today named as Dutch national Dirk Raats. The 71-year-old is now facing murder and attempted murder charges. During a search of his home, police also discovered a large amount of cannabis.