Father of Louvre attack suspect says 'He's a simple guy'
A terror suspect shot outside the Louvre after allegedly rushing at soldiers with a machete and chanting “Allahu Akbar” was “a simple guy on a work trip”, his father insisted yesterday.
Police officers arrive at the Louvre with guns drawn
Egyptian Abdallah ElHamahmy, 28, has been identified as the man who tried to force his way into an underground shopping centre leading to the Paris museum on Friday morning.
He is said to have pulled the machete from one of two rucksacks he was carrying before charging a patrol of four soldiers, injuring one.
He was shot four times and taken to hospital, where he is in a critical condition.
Abdallah ElHamahmy
His father, retired police chief Reda El-Hamahmy, said he was in constant touch with his son who worked as a sales manager in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.
He said: “He went on a company trip and when it was over visited the museum. He was supposed to leave on Saturday.
A mobile phone photograph shows a soldier opening fire at a man in the Louvre Museum
'We saw death coming' bystanders describe Louvre attack
“He is a simple guy. We all love him. The French government’s account is not logical. He is 5ft 5ins tall and attacked four guards? And in the end they found nothing in his bags.”
He is a simple guy. We all love him
El-Hamahmy is married, with a pregnant wife who is staying in Saudi Arabia with their sevenmonth-old son, his father said, adding: “Our household is a moderate household and mind our own business.”
El-Hamahmy is believed to have entered France legally on a flight from Dubai on January 26.
French investigators are examining a Twitter account in which he posted about a dozen messages minutes before the attack.
French police secure the site near the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, France
In one of them he raged: “In the name of Allah… for our brothers in Syria and fighters across the world, no negotiations, no compromise, steadfastness and no retreat. Relentless war.”
In another post on Twitter, he cited a Koranic verse that promises heaven to those who are killed fighting for the sake of God.
A friend said: “I’ve known him since he graduated. I read his Twitter account afterwards. It’s as though it’s a different person, like it was hacked.”
The Louvre yesterday opened its doors again fewer than 24 hours after the incident.