A French police commissioner, Helric Fredou, has reportedly killed himself after meeting relatives of a victim murdered in the attack on France's weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Fredou was found dead in his office the night militants had carried out attack on the magazine’s office, a report published by Independent said.

According to a television station, France 3, the police commissioner had shot himself in his office in Limoges, a city in central France, the report said.

France 3 reported that the police commissioner was single and had no children, describing him as ‘depressed’ and overworked.

Fredou began his police career in 1997 and had been the deputy director of the regional police since 2012.

Twelve people were shot dead — including a Muslim cop Ahmed Merabet — when two militants had stormed into the Charlie Hebdo offices in reaction to disrespectful cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) published by the magazine.

More on this | #JeSuisAhmed: ‘Do not confuse extremists with Muslims’, says slain cop's brother

Editorial

Updated 03 Aug, 2026

Farewell to arms?

PALESTINIAN resistance group Hamas recently made a major concession by agreeing to give up its weapons. It should be...
03 Aug, 2026

Unplanned future

A PROJECTION that Pakistan’s population could reach 400m by 2040 should not be treated as another dramatic number...
03 Aug, 2026

No more torture

EVEN the best laws on the books are worth little unless the state shows the willingness to enforce them. This is...
Updated 02 Aug, 2026

Urban flooding

THE warning from the disaster management and weather authorities that a new monsoon spell could trigger urban...
02 Aug, 2026

Fatal workplaces

THE methane explosion near Quetta that killed 34 coal miners is the latest entry in Pakistan’s long register of...
02 Aug, 2026

Dual standards

IT appears that the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party has fallen foul of the Election Commission of Pakistan. A...