France fears a new serial killer is on the loose

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_SERIAL_KILLINGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-04-06-11-48-16

PARIS (AP) -- A string of murders involving the same weapon have raised concerns that a serial killer may be on the loose in a Paris suburb, and come as France is still reeling from a wave of terror-related shootings in its south.

Four murders have taken place in the Essonne region of the capital since November, the latest that of a 47-year-old woman on Thursday. The same semiautomatic gun was used in all four attacks, prosecutor Marie-Suzanne Le Queau said during a press conference Friday.

Authorities stressed that there's no evidence yet of a link to terrorism in the Essonne killings, but Interior Minister Claude Gueant told French radio Europe-1 that he fears a serial killer might be behind them, and that "maximum resources" would be used to find the perpetrator.

French agencies already are on alert after a string of shootings last month in southern France that police say was the work of an Islamist militant who used a motorbike, videotaped the shootings and claimed links to al-Qaida. The alleged gunman was shot dead in a standoff with security forces.