It has come to light that the man who was shot dead on a nude beach in France by an old naturist after reportedly engaging in sex with a woman was already known to the authorities.
Around 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, the 46-year-old exhibitionist was shot and killed at “La Mama” beach in the Grand parc Miribel-Jonage outside of Lyon.
According to French police, the gunman, a 75-year-old nudist, became enraged with the man who had hurled epithets at beachgoers and then started pleasuring himself while glancing at another woman.
The senior bather fired “at least three rounds,” one of which struck his target in the chest as he stood in the bushes near to the shore, after the two men got into an altercation and the 46-year-old refused to move the conversation elsewhere.
According to the French publication Le Parisien, the victim had been causing trouble on the beach all morning, but things reached a breaking point when he started masturbating in front of swimmers.
Le Progres reports that enthusiastic beachgoers returned to the shoreline this morning to enjoy the weather, seemingly unaffected by the murder that occurred less than 24 hours before.
Although it was not immediately clear why the shooter had brought the pistol to the beach, France3 stated that he was an ardent hunter who had a firearms license.
The elderly man surrendered peacefully and did not dispute the shooting, according to police who were called to the area immediately after yesterday’s incident.
Meanwhile, emergency personnel declared the man dead at the site.
Police arrived on the incident and quickly closed off the beach. A forensic team then started investigating the site, and investigators started interviewing witnesses.
Hundreds of bathers were out enjoying the sun on Saturday morning when the shooting occurred at La Mama beach, which was formally designated for naturist usage in 2007. This strengthened France’s position as the top destination for naturists worldwide.
The shooter was examined by medics on Saturday night to see if his age may prevent him from being imprisoned, but ultimately he was found fit and detained by medical staff.
According to France3, the 75-year-old is a sports shooter whose registered firearm is legitimate, but his permission prevents him from carrying it openly in public.
Officers from the Trévoux gendarmerie are currently looking into the incident after a murder investigation was opened.
The victim is thought to have resided in Lyon and had traveled only a short distance to the beach on Saturday morning, however it is unknown if he frequently frequented the well-known naturist location.
The Grand parc de Miribel-Jonage was built to aid in reducing Rhône river flooding.
Pebble beaches and grassy areas surround a collection of lakes, which are favored by bathers in their undies during the warmer months.