French Man Kills 11-Year-Old Girl in Knife Attack After Fortnite Rage
A 23-year-old man from France, angered by an online dispute over Fortnite, is accused of killing an 11-year-old girl, Louise Lasalle, in a knife attack, prosecutors say.
The girl went missing after walking home from school, and her body was found the following day in the woods of Épinay-sur-Orge, stabbed to death.
The suspect, identified only as “Owen,” was arrested and later confessed to the murder. According to prosecutor Grégoire Dulin, the suspect had been playing Fortnite when he got into an argument with another player who insulted him. Angry, he decided to stop playing and go out to “calm down.”
The attempt to calm down allegedly involved grabbing a knife with the intention of mugging or robbing someone. Owen then came across Louise, who he did not know. He spotted her phone, which was hanging around her neck, and decided to follow her.
Once they reached a secluded area, Owen reportedly told Louise he was going to search her belongings for money, threatening her with the knife. When she screamed, he panicked, pushed her to the ground, and stabbed her.
There was no evidence of sexual assault, but DNA was found on Louise’s hands, and Owen also had cuts and scratches on his own hands. Initially, Owen denied any involvement, but he confessed after DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
According to TFI, Owen told his girlfriend that he had “done something serious” after returning home, then proceeded to bleach his clothes and the knife before discarding them. His girlfriend has since been charged with failure to report a crime.
