Schoolgirl dies of heart attack following knife attack

On Thursday afternoon, two pupils from the primary school were attacked with a knife by an individual with a psychiatric history. The investigation is ongoing, as reported by the authorities on Friday.

While the two girls targeted in the attack suffered 'minor physical injuries,' according to the Strasbourg public prosecutor's office, one of the pupils experienced a severe stress episode that led to a cardiac arrest after her rescue.

The 30-year-old attacker was arrested, though the motives for the attack remain unknown, stated the public prosecutor's office. However, they clarified that no elements link these attacks to terrorism.

"We are horrified and speechless," said Georges Schuler, the mayor of Reichstett, the municipality where the schoolgirl lived, to the AFP news agency.

The teenager "was rescued by teachers who were very fast to call the fire department. She died at the end of the afternoon," education official Olivier Faron said. "Sadly this pupil underwent an episode of very high stress that led to a heart attack."

A mother outside the middle school on Friday morning said her son in first year of secondary had also been scared during the lockdown the previous day.

"Whereas in the primary school they made it more like a game, perhaps here it was a little too direct," Deborah Wendling said.

"He thought there was an armed person in the school. They could hear doors slamming, but in fact it was just other classrooms locking down."

Faron defended the teachers.

"There is no perfect solution," he said. But "we will analyse in depth what happened. If there are lessons to be taken from this, we will take them."

The primary school and the college reopened their doors on Friday morning with an increased presence of the gendarmerie.