ALARMING

Man Charged Over Plot to Kill France’s Macron at Bastille Day Parade

The suspect far-right extremist allegedly planned an attack for the Bastille Day parade.

A 23-year-old man suspected of far-right extremism has been charged with plotting to assassinate French President Emmanuel Macron at the country's Bastille Day parade later this month. Authorities arrested the man last Wednesday in a Paris suburb, though details of the planned attack were only revealed this weekend. Citing an unnamed judicial source, AFP on Monday said the suspect wound up on police radar after inquiring about where to buy a gun in a video game chatroom. After his arrest, the suspect reportedly told police he wanted to kill the French president at the country’s national parade on July 14. He also said he wanted to target “Muslims, Jews, blacks, homosexuals,” AFP reported. The suspect, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was convicted last year of encouraging terrorism after praising Norwegian Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in 2011. He was sentenced to three years behind bars but had half that time suspended.