On Wednesday, November 5, Jean G., 35, rammed five pedestrians and cyclists on Oléron Island before setting his vehicle ablaze with gas canisters inside. He shouted 'Allah Akbar' and claimed to follow Allah's orders during his arrest. La Rochelle's prosecutor's office is requesting an examination for attempted assassinations, while the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office declined to take the case.
The incident occurred on November 5 on Oléron Island, where Jean G., a 35-year-old man from Dordogne living in La Cotinière, deliberately rammed five people in about 30 minutes with his car. Single, childless, and unemployed, he was known for petty crimes, alcohol and drug excesses, and lived alone in a mobile home like an unstable marginal, a reggae fan according to neighbors.
During his arrest, he set his vehicle on fire containing several gas canisters, attempting to lure gendarmes into the flames while shouting 'Allah Akbar' multiple times. A 35 cm knife blade and a gas canister were found on the passenger seat, and his cell phone, retrieved after the fire, was severely damaged. The victims were hospitalized: two, a woman and a man, seriously injured and transferred in absolute emergency to Poitiers and La Rochelle; three others with total incapacity to work (ITT) from 1 to 60 days. Two additional people avoided the collision but perceived the driver's homicidal intent.
In extended custody, Jean G. explained he 'followed Allah's orders,' after turning to Catholicism and then converting recently to Islam via social media. He mentioned hearing strange noises in his head, wanting to die while driving, and requesting internment. Muslim religious writings were seized at his home, with no explosives found despite bomb squad intervention. Toxicology tests confirm recent cannabis use, under the influence during the acts. Psychiatric expertise notes an alteration of discernment, not abolished.
La Rochelle's prosecutor, Arnaud Laraize, announced during a press conference on November 6 that the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) did not retain jurisdiction, seeing 'no jihadist dimension or link to terrorist organizations.' Jean G. acted alone, with a prepared method, but without radicalization tied to groups. The local prosecutor's office will retain premeditation and request the opening of a judicial investigation for attempted assassinations on Friday. A medico-psychological emergency unit was deployed on site.