The quiet community of Montmorillon, a 7,000-resident village in central France, is reeling from a shocking double homicide that left two twin sisters dead on Sunday, according to official French law enforcement sources. One of the victims was identified as the former romantic partner of the 60-something male prime suspect in the killings.
Following the deadly incident, the suspect was discovered with a life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest. He has since been admitted to intensive care at a hospital in the nearby regional city of Poitiers, where he remains in critical condition.
Regional prosecutor Rachel Bray confirmed that the suspect lives as a neighbor to the two victims in the village. Multiple witnesses reported seeing him exit one of the women’s homes covered in blood, while visibly carrying a handgun in his hand.
The small close-knit town’s mayor, Jean-Luc Souchaud, stated that the twin sisters were well-known to most residents of the village, but he personally had no connection or prior acquaintance with the accused man.
Local law enforcement was notified immediately by alert residents who witnessed the suspect’s departure from the property. When officers arrived at the scene, they recovered the bodies of the two women: one was found lying outside the home next to a vehicle parked in an adjacent alley, while the second was located right at the entrance door of the property.
In the immediate aftermath of the killings, roughly 100 police personnel were deployed to secure the crime scene and conduct a manhunt for the suspect. Specialized rapid-response law enforcement units located the suspect after carrying out an aerial survey of the surrounding area using a police drone, after which they took him into custody.