Garde-Colombe
Garde-Colombe (Vivaro-Alpine: Garda Colomba) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department of southeastern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 and consists of the former communes of Eyguians, Lagrand and Saint-Genis.
Garde-Colombe | |
|---|---|
Location of Garde-Colombe | |
Garde-Colombe Garde-Colombe | |
| Coordinates: 44°20′46″N 5°46′16″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Hautes-Alpes |
| Arrondissement | Gap |
| Canton | Serres |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Damien Duranceau |
| Area 1 | 34.61 km2 (13.36 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | 522 |
| • Density | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 05053 /05300 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
The newly minted commune was the location of the 20 July 2016 knife attack on a mother and her three daughters (aged 8, 12, and 14) at a local VVF Lagrand resort. The 8-year old was airlifted by helicopter to Grenoble because of a punctured lung. The perpetrator from Morocco, Mohamed Boufarkouch, shouted "Allah akbar" (Allah is great) several times in jail. Boufarkouch, who has been on disability since 2009, was in Garde-Colombe with his two daughters and his pregnant wife. The prosecutor indicated that terrorism is not seen as a prime motivator, and indicated there were "no signs of religious radicalisation" and the suspect's practice of the Muslim religion "has been moderate."