A man blew his head off with a sawn-off shot gun in front of a class of six-year-olds after forcing his way into a primary school in the heart of Paris.

The man, in his early 50s, fought his way past school staff and made a brief declaration before killing himself in front of a dozen children who had just left their classroom to go for lunch.

No attempt was made to harm the children. The motives of the intruder, who had no connection with the school, was unclear. Police said he had a history of domestic violence.

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The incident happened at the Saint-Pierre-La Rochefoucauld school in the seventh arrondissement close to the Eiffel Tower. Children who witnessed the suicide were being treated for shock.

The Education Minister, Vincent Peillon, who went to the scene, said the intruder had “used physical violence” to force his way past the school staff. He had removed a sawn-off shot-gun from a bag and pointed at his jaw as the children descended a staircase to go for lunch.

One mother, Irène, said the scene had also been witnessed by other children further up the staircase. “There was a huge bang,” she said. “And everyone ran away screaming.”