Last Friday night at Le Mistral, a pizza and sandwich diner in the heart of Paris, a waiter was shot and killed because the shooter was angry with the service and that he waited “too long for a sandwich”, according to CNN.
What We Know:
- The 28-year old male waiter was still alive when the police came and after multiple attempts to save his life, he passed away at the diner.
- The police have opened an investigation into this case, searching for the suspect who did this. He has not been identified yet. The only information police know is that he is a 34-year-old man with a criminal record according to the Telegraph. Despite searching his home, no one has found the suspect.
- This area of Paris is known for its high crime statistics. These crimes are more related to drug dealing. Slyvain Thézard, the Chief of Staff to that region of Paris, has gone on record to say that the crime rates are declining, and she believes this murder doesn’t represent a deep-seated issue.
- According to the New York Times, in 2018 there were 845 recorded homicides based off of the French police database. It’s about a quarter of the United States homicides. French gun laws state that the citizens don’t have the right to bear arms unless they have a hunting/sporting license. This is on top of the required psychological evaluation and mandatory renewals each citizen takes before owning a gun. Owning a gun is seen as more taboo compared to the United States.
- France for the most part doesn’t see gun laws as a major conflict, rather the high unemployment, terrorism, and the slow recovery is the major topics of debate.
Slyvain Thézard is correct when she says “It’s nothing but sad news.”
