Paris, 24 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - One student was killed and three others injured in a knife attack at a private secondary school in the western French city of Nantes on Thursday, French media citing the police reported.

The newspapers Le Parisien and Ouest France reported the attacker was a 15-year-old student at the school. He is said to have entered two classrooms and stabbed four students.

One victim died of her injuries, while one of the three wounded is in a serious condition.

School staff overpowered the attacker before police took him into custody, the reports said.

In a post on X, President Emmanuel Macron praised the "courage" of those who intervened while expressing condolences for the victims' families.

The motive for the attack remains unclear.

According to broadcaster BFMTV, the suspect emailed a 20-page message to classmates earlier in the day, outlining a bleak view of society.

Authorities said the teen was previously unknown to police and security services.

Students who were initially confined to classrooms have since been released.

Education Minister Élisabeth Borne and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau attended the scene on Thursday afternoon.

MIA file photo