Posted on 12/06/2004 4:16:36 PM PST by Tarpaulin
PARIS - A man who said he "had failed in life" admitted Monday he tried to assassinate President Jacques Chirac, and told a court he wanted to go down in history with a "shocking" act.
Maxime Brunerie, 27, is accused of pulling a rifle from a guitar case and firing a shot as Chirac passed in a motorcade along the Champs-Elysees during the Bastille Day parade on July 14, 2002. Bystanders pushed the rifle's barrel into the air as the gun went off, and police wrestled the shooter to the ground. The French leader was not hurt.
"My name is Maxime Brunerie. I am a student," a somber Brunerie told the presiding judge as his trial opened.
"I had failed in life; I didn't want to fail in death," said Brunerie, speaking in a monotone. He said he had wanted "to do something historic, scandalous, shocking."
Brunerie tried to shoot himself as he was being apprehended, and later told investigators he regretted not having enough time to kill himself because he had wanted to die famous.
The defendant said he had joined far-right groups as a way to discover an identity, saying he "always had the impression of not being interesting to other people."
A verdict is expected Friday.
Asked by the prosecutor how he foresaw his future, Brunerie said: "After prison, I'm going to try to have a normal life and find more constructive areas of interest."
Defense lawyers are expected to argue that Brunerie is mentally ill and should be treated rather than imprisoned.
In July, a judge ordered Brunerie to stand trial on charges of attempted murder after experts said he was mentally impaired but at least partially responsible for his acts.
Officials claim Brunerie carefully planned the attack. They allege he bought the gun a week before the parade, had practiced shooting and had emptied his bank account to buy gifts for his friends beforehand.
He could have succeeded in death if he just turned the weapon around.
failed in life @ 27?
He is a failure in life.
See what happens when you don't have gun control?
"Maxime".... this dude had problems from day one. I guess 'Max' could be cool as in 'Max Power... he has the name that you want to touch, but you musn't touch!' but as it stands I guess he'll have plenty of time to work out his issues.
It's rather difficult to have decent gun control when everyone around the gunman jostles and pushes him: "Let me! Let me!" Hence the failure.
I hadn't even begun to fail at 27.
Practice practice practice.
What a poor wretched creature that he could only find solace in destruction.
Ten to one odds he would have shot himself in the foot trying that.
Since he failed, there's no point sending a few bucks to his defense fund!
They should send him here.
I would hope so. Might I suggest that needle point might be more your speed?
Yup, french, couldn't even shoot himself, probably a top marksman in the french army, but the target was out of range.
The Jackal he ain't.
Gun control at its worst.
This is one of those rare occassions when I don't even have to post a word about the article, yet everyone here knows EXACTLY what I'm thinking...because you're probably thinking the same thing...
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