 |
| France: Engineer kills three female managers after being fired |
A man is on trial in France for allegedly killing three women he blamed for ruining his career.
Gabriel Fortin, 48, was arrested in 2021 in the southern city of Valence.
In the past few days, two human resources managers who helped get the man fired years ago were shot and killed.
The third woman worked in a job center. Fortin dubbed the 'HR killer' by the media, is also accused of trying to kill another manager.
An unemployed engineer at the time of his arrest, he has since refused to speak to investigators.
The first murder occurred on January 26, 2021, in the Alsace region of eastern France. Estelle Luce, a human resources manager, was shot in the head in her company's car park after work.
Later that evening, about 50 kilometers (30 mi) away, another HR manager was shot at his home by a man delivering pizza. The victim, Bertrand Michel, survived.
Two days later, 500 kilometers to the south, a man wearing a face mask and carrying a white plastic bag walked into a local job center in Valence, pulled a gun from the plastic bag, and killed benefits director Patricia Paschione.
Minutes later, another HR manager, Gelardin Sislin, was shot dead at an environmental services company near Valence.
The number plate of the car used by the gunman when leaving the job center led police to Fortin.
In 2009, Kecklin led the dismissal process after an unsuccessful trial period. Fortin then registered with the Wellness Job Center, and his unemployment benefits ran out.
Pascuon never had an affair with them, but police believe he harbored a grudge against the center's staff.
Investigators quickly linked him to the shootings in eastern France.
Estelle Luce and Bertrand Michel were involved in their dismissal from another company in 2006, 14 years earlier.
Police spent more than two years searching for data on his computer. They say they have extensive evidence of his enduring bitterness as well as efforts to trace the movements of his victims.
Gabriel Fortin appeared in court in Valence on Tuesday charged with three counts of murder and attempted murder.
Ahead of the trial, Paschione's sister told France's Europe 1 radio: 'He was armed and was not facing women. He never tried to speak or listen. He just killed. This is pure cowardice.