In a devastating incident that unfolded during a family barbecue, an 11-year-old British girl named Solaine Thornton was tragically shot and killed while playing on a swing in her garden. The incident occurred in the village of Saint-Herbot, located north of Quimper in Brittany, France.
Solaine’s parents, Adrian and Rachel Thornton, also suffered injuries in the shooting and are currently receiving medical treatment. Local media reported that her father sustained serious injuries. The mayor of the commune where the family resided, Marguerite Bleuzen, confirmed their identities.
Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as a 71-year-old Dutch national. After the incident, he barricaded himself inside his house but eventually surrendered to the police along with his wife, leading to his arrest. The motive behind the shooting is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the British family over a plot of land adjacent to their properties.
According to eyewitnesses, the tragic event unfolded while Solaine and her eight-year-old sister were playing on a swing, while their parents tended to the barbecue. The suspect opened fire on them from behind a hedge using a shotgun. In a state of shock, the younger sister sought help from neighbors, shouting, “My sister is dead, my sister is dead.”
The village of Plonévez-du-Faou, where the family resided, is now grappling with shock and disbelief. Local residents expressed their deep sadness and shared that the family had been part of the community for several years. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and Prosecutor Carine Halley has stated that details remain unclear at this stage.
Mayor Marguerite Bleuzen expressed her condolences, stating, “We knew the family well. There is a village fête every year, and they always came. It is incomprehensible to have shot a child. No one can understand how that could have happened.”
Regine Guillot, the secretary of the Plonévez-du-Faou town hall, revealed that the village is in a state of shock. While acknowledging minor neighborhood issues, Guillot emphasized that nothing could have anticipated such a tragic outcome.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has extended its support to the affected British family. A spokesperson from the office stated, “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”
