French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared a day of "national tragedy" in France and schools and religious groups held services of solidarity after a gunman shot dead three children and a rabbi in Toulouse.
As the gunman remained on the loose police confirmed that a gun used in the shooting was the same as that used in three other recent murders in the region.
President Nicolas Sarkozy put south-western France on a "scarlet" terrorism alert for the first time in the country's history.
As children around the country travel to school, he said, guards will be on hand outside all faith-based institutions and Jewish and Muslim buildings.
A visibly moved Sarkozy said from Toulouse: "Barbarism, savagery, hate must not win. The Republic is much stronger than that.
"You cannot murder children like this on the territory of the Republic without being held to account
"I want to say to all the leaders of the Jewish community, how close we feel to them. All of France is by their side."
Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande, who is currently leading in most polls ahead of the first round on 22 April, said he wanted to show "solidarity with the families and France's Jewish community".
"This act, whose anti-Semitic nature is as obvious as it is despicable, hits what families hold most dear, their children, and plunges the entire nation into mourning," Hollande said in a statement.
Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou condemned the attack as a "premeditated horror with perverse and hateful intentions".
Far-right Candidate Marine Le Pen also suspended her campaign and said "the whole country is waiting impatiently for this serial killer to be found".
Police said that a man riding a black scooter or motorcycle pulled up outside the Ozar Hatorah Jewish high school at about 8am and fired on adults and children.
A Franco-Israeli teacher and rabbi was shot and killed, as were his two sons aged six and three. Another girl, reported to be the daughter of the school's principal, was also killed.
At least one other person was seriously injured in the shooting, reported to be a 17-year-old boy.
"This man alighted from his moped and, as he was outside the school, he shot at everything he could see, children or adults. Children were chased right into the school," said Toulouse prosecutor Michel Valet.
The attack has been linked with two attacks on soldiers in the area around Toulouse.
Two French paratroopers were shot in the town of Montauban, near Toulouse, on Friday, when a gunman on a black motorbike pulled up at a cash machine and opened fire, and another soldier in plain clothes was shot at point blank range by an assailant on a scooter on 11 March.
Police said a .45 calibre gun used in Monday's attack was the same as one used in the other two shootings.
With the killer still on the loose Interior Minister Claude Gueant said he will stay in Toulouse for as long as it takes to capture the person responsible.
A service to remember the victims was held at a local synagogue and there will be a silent march in Paris later this evening to commemorate the event.
Meanwhile across the globe religious and political leaders expressed solidarity and sadness with the people of Toulouse.
The Chief Rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, said he was "horrified by what happened this morning in Toulouse". He said that he was "bruised in my body and my soul".
Israel said it was horrified by the shooting, and hoped the French authorities would "shed full light on this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice", while Pope Benedict XVI also offered his prayers in a statement.
Jonathan Hayoun, who leads the Jewish students union of France, said in a statement that "anti-Semitic and racist speech has created a climate of insecurity for Jews in France" and called for new security measures to be put in place.
Several other attacks on Jewish schools have been recorded in France in previous years.
In 2009 in Marseille aerosol cans soaked in petrol were thrown at a Jewish school, though nobody was injured, and in 2005 acid bottles were thrown at a Jewish school in Paris.
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared a day of "national tragedy" in France and schools and religious groups held services of solidarity after a gunman shot dead three children and a rabbi in Toul...
French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared a day of "national tragedy" in France and schools and religious groups held services of solidarity after a gunman shot dead three children and a rabbi in Toul...
By Alessandro Speciale Religion News Service VATICAN CITY (RNS) Two weeks before Pope Benedict XVI was scheduled to touch down in Cuba, a small group...
TOULOUSE, France — Hundreds of police blanketed southern France on Tuesday, searching for a gunman – possibly a racist, anti-Semitic serial killer – who killed...
Distraught parents and pupils have told of their horror following the school shooting in Toulouse, France, which has left at least four dead. A gunman...
French children, Jewish and French or, if one prefers, sovereignly French but guilty of having been born Jewish, were coldly gunned down, in broad daylight, on the territory of the Republic.
The attack earlier this week on schoolchildren in Toulouse was horrific. But for the last five years the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-semitism has warned that such an attack was depressingly predictable.
I condemn utterly and completely the murder of innocents, especially children but have to wonder what might cause someone to act so despicably, is it possible that because Sarkozy welcomed the £43 million from Gadaffi that helped to get him elected and then helped NATO to destabilise the country and murder hundreds of innocents just tipped someone over the edge?
Synic_Ali: I condemn utterly and completely the murder of innocents, especially
Profiling this killer. He/she is brave (shoots soldiers), he/she is patient (followed a soldier to gym and waited for them to come out). He/she wants society to be upset and attacks defenseless childern of a religon that will causes emotional upset. They have a plan. Next they will go after another defenceless target. Some where were they have a chance to escape due to chaos. This is similar to what was planned for Opertion Gladio. This person is highly trained and will have a military back ground (.45 calibre gun) criminals find this gun to big and noisey.
red0pill0matrix: Profiling this killer. He/she is brave (shoots soldiers), he/she is
In that country (France) where the minister of police claims that "some civilizations are worth more than others", where the president says that "there are too many foreigners" and initiates a debate about halal and kosher meat, nobody should wonder that extremists feel free to perform such atrocities.
Bagheera_Tchatcha: In that country (France) where the minister of police claims
This is pure anti-semitism, no more and no less. Jewish communities have even been attacked in countries that are not involved with the United States, NATO and the 'War On Terror'.
GingerlyColors: This is pure anti-semitism, no more and no less. Jewish
Honestly it's not you know. Most of Europe lines the Israelis and the Jews in general up with 'Us' against 'them'.
Islamophobia is on the rise in Europe. You guys may not wish to hear that, but it's 100% true. The Muslims are the "New Jews".
UKVisitor: Honestly it's not you know. Most of Europe lines the
you people alway crawl out the wood work, when will you start understanding.
If the innocent Palestinians you are on about are children Israel does not purposly target them. Hamas and the other terrorists use children & women them as human sheilds.
FACT many palestinians get treated free of charge at Israeli hospitals, the are groups that cloth, feed, ect., the palestinians. If it were not for these terrorists Gaza and west bank would be free, But come on woodworm, lets hear about the poor defencless children in Syria that are burnt alive in front of their mothers, or the Afrikan children that are starving and dying
NOW HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR THESE MURDERED CHILDREN IN FRANCE.
hobbychubby: you people alway crawl out the wood work, when will
this was not just an attack on jews - anyone who kills children is attacking humanity itself.
I cant imagine what the parents of these children are going through.
re fabis comment about israel - I dont think it makes much difference if Israel deliberately targets children or not - the end result is exactly the same.
richfrompreston: this was not just an attack on jews - anyone
If you hold extremist views and your party stands a strong chance of winning the election ,you do not go out and commit murders like this and jeopardize everything .Who would? .Look for a political party that is likely to lose and is in a position to do this.
mfa11e: If you hold extremist views and your party stands a
The more religions matter, the more divisions emerge. Religions seem to play larger and larger roles in public life and so the hatred for people of other religions develops.
In the 1950s when people were occupied with rebuilding after WWII and religion was a kind of side issue that was less in the public eye, this kind of violence was not that prevalent. Reduce the visibility and influence of religions in public life, and there will be less hatred. But those who have the truth just can't help themselves parading, so the hate crimes will continue for a long while yet.
novelist2000: The more religions matter, the more divisions emerge. Religions seem
As i lok at the incident as school children being murdered along with masters of the school...I feel for them all....I dont see religion in this at all......
But as you have made a point......for which I respond....
as one of murdered vuctims was a Muslim , hardly likely is it.
under difference circumstances many years ago pre ww2, didnt the jewish people themselves suffer such remarks as you have made...re borders and 'they let anyone in' attitude by many countries in Europe.....
I wonder how their families would feel about your words.....
digitalchatter2: As i lok at the incident as school children being
The whole world is calm, but just now in France out of the blow there is a new Hitler who came to kill Jews and Africans. Why now ? When you learn that the nationaliste party is about to win the presidential, you can be suspicious non?
masisinfo: The whole world is calm, but just now in France
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Huffington Post UK | By Michael Rundle Posted: 19/03/2012 17:21 Updated: 20/03/2012 09:29