French president denounces "Islamist terrorist attack" against teacher who was decapitated after allegedly showing Muhammed caricatures - CBS News

The teacher had discussed caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad with his class, authorities said.

An Associated Press reporter saw three ambulances arrive at the scene, as well as heavily armed police surrounding the area and police vans lining leafy nearby streets.

He said the attack shouldn't divide France because that's what the extremists want.

The gruesome killing of the teacher occurred in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine while the suspect was killed by police in adjoining Eragny.

A police official said the suspect, armed with a knife and an airsoft gun — which fires plastic pellets — was shot dead about 600 yards from where the male teacher was killed after he failed to respond to orders to put down his arms and acted in a threatening manner.

The teacher had received threats after opening a discussion "for a debate" about the caricatures about 10 days ago, the police official told The Associated Press.

The parent of a student had filed a complaint against the teacher, another police official said, adding that the suspected killer did not have a child at the school. .

As the trial opened, the paper republished caricatures of the prophet to underscore the right of freedom of expression.

The 18-year-old told police he was upset about the publication of the caricatures.