French authorities alerted Interpol about the cadet over the weekend. Meanwhile, local newspapers have seized on the speculation under headlines like, “A GOOD SHOT FROM COETQIDAN HAS DISAPPEARED” and “ON THE TRAIL OF A DESERTER.”
The missing man has received routine training on the FAMAS assault rifle, the French military equivalent of the M-16. The FAMAS, like the gun being used by the Washington sniper, is a .223 caliber weapon. But while the French press has singled out the cadet for his shooting abilities, school spokesman Cdr. Francois Guillermet cautions against making much of his marksmanship. “That came out of the hat of a journalist… He isn’t better or worse than the other students here. He knows how to handle a weapon because that’s his job.”
Guillermet says both the school and the man’s family believe his disappearance was the result of an accident–possibly a hiking mishap. “His family is stunned, grieving, and upset about the news reports,” he says.
