Adel Kermiche (1997-26 July 2016) was an Islamic State sympathizer from France who carried out the 2016 Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church attack in Normandy, killing the 86-year-old priest.
Biography[]
Adel Kermiche was born in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France to a Muslim African family in 1997, and he became a radical Islamist. In 2015, he attempted to enter Syria through Turkey to fulfill his goal of joining the Islamic State, but he was turned back. He was arrested on his return to France, and in March 2016 he was released after police inserted an electronic chip into him to track his movements. The police were strict on what times he could leave his house, and they kept track of his every move. However, they were unable to pick up on his planning and execution of the 2016 Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church attack, in which Kermiche and Abu Jalil al-Hanfai killed an 86-year-old priest and took four hostages. Both of them were killed when police stormed the church.