16 Accidentally Wounded by French Military in Shooting Demo

**Pudge** · 06-30-08, 11:36 AM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,373502,00.html

PARIS — A military shooting demonstration in southeast France on Sunday left 16 people wounded, including children, when real bullets were used instead of blank ones, officials said.
Four of the wounded were in serious condition, including a 3-year-old child, Bernard Lemaire, chief of the regional administration in Aude, said on France-3 television. Fifteen of the injured were civilians.
A Defense Ministry official said the incident occurred during a demonstration of hostage-freeing techniques at the Laperrine military barracks. The official said investigators will look into why real bullets were used.
No information was immediately available about what kind of weapon was used.
The soldier who fired the shots has been detained, Lemaire said. He said the injuries were likely an accident but that it could have been a "criminal act."
In a statement, President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "horror" at Sunday's incident at the base, which houses the 3rd marine infantry parachute regiment.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, with the most seriously wounded taken to Toulouse.

**MacLean** · 06-30-08, 12:00 PM

Oh hell, where do I start with this one...

**Willowdared** · 06-30-08, 02:17 PM

Intentional?

**MacLean** · 06-30-08, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by PDawg

Intentional?

Or negligence - only one soldier fired live rounds?

**Willowdared** · 06-30-08, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by maclean

Or negligence - only one soldier fired live rounds?

That's what it looks like. So either he messed up, did it on purpose, or was set up.

With all the simmering racial/religious tensions in France, it will be interesting to see this story develop.

**Ducky** · 06-30-08, 04:12 PM

ok, here's my question... how'd the the cheese eating surrender monkeys get live ammo??

**gopherpuckfan** · 06-30-08, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ducky

ok, here's my question... how'd the the cheese eating surrender monkeys get live ammo??

Missed supply drop for U.S. forces, circa 1944

**armsmaster270** · 06-30-08, 10:04 PM

They don't do a damn thing. Two of our officers went to Bosnia to train police there, the hatred between the Croat's and Serb's one group would drag members of the other group out of their houses, rape the women and kill the men while the Brave French Foreign Legion sits across the street in their armoured vehicle. He isn't allowed a weapon and asks the french what they are going to do, they say what is there to do. Needless to say he's not their fan.