Man stabs 11-year-old schoolgirl to death in France after argument during game of ‘Fortnite’

Man in France kills 11-year-old girl with knife after ‘Fortnite’ argument

On 8 Feb, the French commune of Épinay-sur-Orge, south of Paris, was rocked by the murder of an 11-year-old girl.

The previous day, Louise Lasalle finished school at 1.50pm.

When she failed to return home by 4pm — her journey typically taking just 11 minutes — her parents reported her missing.

Police, firefighters, and rescue teams, including dogs and a helicopter, immediately began searching the area.

Source: Epinay-sur-Orge on Facebook

At around 2am, Ms Lasalle’s body was found in a wooded area just a few hundred metres from her home.

She had been stabbed multiple times with “extreme violence”, resulting in her death.

Investigators initially detained several potential suspects but released them after they were cleared of involvement.

Suspect arrested after DNA found on victim’s hands

On 10 Feb, 23-year-old Owen L. was arrested after his DNA was found on the hands of Ms Lasalle.

He later confessed to the murder, though the weapon used has yet to be found.

Owen claimed the killing was sparked by an online argument during a game of ‘Fortnite’, which led him into a fit of rage.

He said he stormed out of the house shortly after the dispute.

Source: Vlad Gorshkov on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only

According to Owen’s girlfriend, he frequently became extremely angry while playing ‘Fortnite’.

His sister also described him as “violent, nervous, aggressive, and an avid video gamer”.

Suspect allegedly intended to rob victim

It is believed that the suspect intended to rob someone to calm down after his ‘Fortnite’ argument and encountered Ms Lasalle as she was heading home.

Source: Metro

Noticing her mobile phone, Owen lured her into the woods, where he threatened her with a knife.

When she screamed, he fatally stabbed her.

Investigators later discovered that Owen had attempted a similar robbery with a 12-year-old girl just three days before killing Ms Lasalle, but she managed to escape.

Moreover, he had made at least two previous attempts at robbery.

After the murder, Owen allegedly told his girlfriend about the crime.

She has since been charged with failing to report it.

A memorial service for Ms Lasalle was held in her town from 11 to 14 Feb.

Also read: Teacher stabs 8-year-old student to death in South Korea, had no known connection to victim

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Featured image adapted from Epinay-sur-Orge on Facebook and Vlad Gorshkov on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.