Pont-Saint-Esprit: Two armed individuals arrested after school lockdowns

On Monday, September 14, law enforcement conducted a major operation in the old center of Pont-Saint-Esprit after two individuals were spotted carrying a rifle. The alert was triggered by the municipal video protection center, which identified the suspects through the city's camera network.

As a precaution, authorities implemented a lockdown at two local schools: the Jules-Ferry public nursery school and the Notre-Dame private elementary school. This measure was taken to ensure the safety of students and staff during the search.

Before 3:00 PM, gendarmes located and arrested the two individuals, who were then taken to the gendarmerie station. Following the arrest, the school lockdowns were lifted. Mayor Valère Segal praised the rapid coordination between the municipal police, the Gendarmerie nationale, and the video protection services.