Mostefai: from petty criminal to cold-blooded jihadist

AFP, COURCOURONNES:  Omar Ismail Mostefai was known to police as nothing more than a petty criminal before he became the first gunman identified from Friday’s attacks in Paris, which left at least 129 dead.
Identified by his finger, which was found among the rubble of the Bataclan concert hall, the 29-year-old was one of three men who blew himself up killing 89 people in the bloodiest scene of the carnage.
Born on November 21 1985, in the poor Paris suburb of Courcouronnes, Mostefai’s criminal record shows eight convictions for petty crimes between 2004 and 2010, but no jail time.
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Mostefai had been singled out as a high-priority target for radicalisation in 2010 but, before Friday, he had “never been implicated in a terrorist network or plot”.
Investigators are now probing whether he took a trip to Syria last year, according to police sources.
Friday’s attacks, which killed 129 people and wounded 352, including 99 critically, were the worst in Paris’s history.
The killer’s father and 34-year-old brother were placed in custody on Saturday evening and their homes were searched. “It’s a crazy thing, it’s madness,” his brother told AFP, his voice trembling, before he has taken into custody.
“Yesterday I was in Paris and I saw what a mess it was.”

 

Mostefai: from petty criminal to cold-blooded jihadist

AFP, COURCOURONNES: Omar Ismail Mostefai was known to police as nothing more than a petty criminal before he became the first gunman identified from Fridays attacks in Paris, which left at least 129 dead. Identified by his finger, which was found among the rubble of the Bataclan concert hall, the 29-year-old was one of three men who blew himself up killing 89 people in the bloodiest scene of the carnage. Born on November 21 1985, in the poor Paris suburb of Courcouronnes, Mostefais criminal record shows eight convictions for petty crimes between 2004 and 2010, but no jail time. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Mostefai had been singled out as a high-priority target for radicalisation in 2010 but, before Friday, he had never been implicated in a terrorist network or plot. Investigators are now probing whether he took a trip to Syria last year, according to police sources. Fridays attacks, which killed 129 people and wounded 352, including 99 critically, were the worst in Pariss history. The killers father and 34-year-old brother were placed in custody on Saturday evening and their homes were searched. Its a crazy thing, its madness, his brother told AFP, his voice trembling, before he has taken into custody. Yesterday I was in Paris and I saw what a mess it was.