Editing Karim Cheurfi

'''Karim Cheurfi''' (December 31<^st, 1977 - April 20^th, 2017)<ref name="BBC">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39671542 Paris Champs Elysees attack gunman named as Karim Cheurfi], BBC News, April 2017</ref> is a serial gunman who shot police officers in three separate attacks in France. Motivated by lifelong hatred of police and latterly by Islamic extremism, Cheurfi wounded four officers and killed one, as well as injuring two civilians. He was himself shot dead during his final attack, on April 20^th, 2017.

In 2001 Cheurfi crashed a stolen car, shooting and injuring a police officer and his brother who gave chase, severely injuring both.<ref name="TheLocal"/> Days later he grabbed a second officer's gun while he was in custody and shot and wounded that officer.<ref name="Indy">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attack-isis-terror-champs-elysees-gunman-accomplice-police-manhunt-belgian-karim-cheurfi-a7694266.html Paris attack: Champs-Elysees suspect was jailed for shooting police and subject of terror investigation] ''The Independent'', April 2017</ref> Following a 2003 trial, he was sentenced to 20 years,<ref name="Indy"/> reduced on appeal to 15 years, for the three attempted murders.<ref name="TheLocal"/> He received parole in 2013.<ref name="TheLocal"/>

These crimes were linked at the time to organized crime rather than terror.<ref name="Telegraph">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/20/paris-attack-suspect/ Paris attack: who is Karim Cheurfi, the gunman who lived with his mother and was 'let go' by French authorities in February?], ''The Telegraph'', April 2017</ref> Three months after release he committed an armed robbery, being captured after a car chase; in July 2014 he received a sentence of four years with two suspended <ref name="TheLocal"/>and was released in October 2015.<ref name="BBC"/>

Cheurfi did not appear to become radicalized during his time in prison.<ref name="Telegraph"/> Lawyer Jean-Laurent Panier, who represented Cheurfi at a theft trial, said shortly after the 2017 attack that Cheurfi was "psychologically fragile" and a naive and unsuccessful criminal, adding "I never got a sense that this was someone who would be radicalized."<ref name="Telegraph"/>

Cheurfi lived an isolated existence with few or no friends <ref name="Telegraph"/>and stayed with his parents in Chelles, Paris.<ref name="Indy"/> Neighbors in the ethnically-diverse eastern suburb described him as a vulnerable but violent mentally ill man with a deep hatred of police and who never visited his local mosque.<ref name="TheLocal">[https://www.thelocal.fr/20170421/champs-elyses-shooter-has-history-of-violence-against-police Champs-Elysées gunman: An unstable criminal who 'hated French police'], ''The Local'', April 2017</ref>

 

Cheurfi was a Parisian from birth, being raised in the northeastern Livry-Gargan suburb.<ref name="BBC"/>

French authorities first received word of radical intent by the suspect in December of 2016.<ref name="Telegraph"/> The tipoff suggested he was attempting to acquire weapons and contact [[The Islamic State|Islamic State]] terrorists in Iraq and/or Syria with a view to murder French police officers.<ref name="Telegraph"/> Although not then added to France's "S List" of terror suspects, he was added to a radicalisation alert list the following month.<ref name="Telegraph"/> In January he was also questioned after buying two hunting knives, a Scream mask, and a GoPro camera.<ref name="Indy"/> He was released after claiming the knives were for fishing and the other items were for a festival.<ref name="Indy"/>

At 20:47 pm<ref name="BBC"/> on April 20^th, 2017; Cheurfi drove an Audi<ref name="BBC"/> car behind a marked police van which was parked outside a Marks & Spencers on the Champs-Elysees.<ref name="Indy"/> He opened fire with an AK-47,<ref name="Indy"/> shooting dead officer Xavier Jugelé, 37, through the van's driver's window.<ref name="BBC"/> He then attacked and injured two police officers stationed guarding a Turkish tourist office.<ref name="BBC"/> A German lady's foot was also injured.<ref name="Indy"/> Security forces subsequently shot and killed the 39-year-old attacker.<ref name="Indy"/><ref name="BBC"/>

Police immediately sealed off Cheurfi's family home and detained three of his relatives for questioning, but pointed out this was standard procedure.<ref name="Indy"/> Islamic State claimed the attack, calling Cheurfi Abu Yousif al-Belgiki (The Belgian) despite Cheurfi being a French national.<ref name="Telegraph"/> Within days of the attack, a second suspect voluntarily attended a police station and was eliminated from the probe,<ref name="Indy"/> while police confirmed Cheurfi's motivation with the discovery of a handwritten pro-Islamic State note in his car.<ref name="Telegraph"/> Also in the car were knives and a pump-action shotgun<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/21/paris-shooting-police-search-property-as-isis-claims-responsibility Paris gunman served more than 12 years in jail for shooting at police], ''The Guardian'', April 2017</ref>

[[Category:Imprisoned]]

[[Category:European Villains]]

[[Category:France]]