Friends say playground knifeman was 'weird' but never imagined such violence

09 June 2023 , 10:28

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A little girl lays tributes near the scene at a lakeside playground in Annecy, France (Image: PA)

The friends of a knifeman who went on a stabbing spree at a playground in southern France say their former pal was "weird" but couldn't imagine him commiting such atrocities.

Abdelmasih Hanoun, 31, was chased down by cops and hauled into custody on murder charges after plunging his knife into four children as their mums walked by in their strollers.

The horrific act, which has gripped Europe, saw Hanoun target two French cousins, Ennio and Alba, both two, before then attacking a three-year-old English girl who was visiting the area on a family holiday.

The fourth child, a Dutch tot called Peter, was just two months shy of his second birthday.

As medics desperately try to save them in their respective hospitals, Hanoun sits in custody with his former acquaintances coming out to share their disbelief that he was capable of such heinous acts.

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Abdelmasih Haroun wielding a knife during the attack

Speaking to CNEWS, one friend who wanted to remain anonymous, said the "weird man" was often "in his [own] world", and that some were unsure of him.

The young woman added: "I would never have imagined that he could have done that in his life."

“My boyfriend never felt it. But he didn't seem that bad, he seemed to be in his world."

He was tackled and taken in to custody

Like Hanoun, the woman is part of the area's homeless community, and said she often saw him sitting by a well in the city centre.

Authorities in Annecy said the 32-year-old Syrian arrived in the area last autumn, but failed to integrate and make friends.

“He was weird. He's not someone who could have fitted in with us. There are other people, who come from elsewhere, who manage to integrate but he does not, ”said another former acquaintance.

A mum tried to defend her baby and push the knife-carrying attacker away

They told local media how he's been sleeping in front of a building for the past six months.

Many other locals remembered him being "courteous" when they interacted with him.

The motive behind the attack is currently unknown, and he is undergoing a fully psychiatric evaluation in custody but he has no prior mental health or criminal history.

During the attack, witnesses recalled him crying out "in the name of Jesus Christ" before knifing the kids.

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