Under Siege

3 Blasts Heard at Standoff Site

Where French suspected shooter is cornered.

Three blasts were heard Wednesday evening at the Toulouse home where the suspected French gunman was holed up with police surrounding his residence. Mohamed Merah, the alleged shooter of Algerian descent, admitted to killing seven people in the last 10 days, officials confirmed to The New York Times earlier Wednesday. The 23 year old, who was besieged in his Toulouse apartment for nearly 18 hours Wednesday night, confessed to the murders and admitted to planning at least three more as hundreds of officers surrounded his home. During the ongoing standoff, Merah also claimed involvement with al Qaeda and that the killings were an act of protest against France and revenge for the deaths of Palestinian children, according to a prosecutor leading the investigation.