A 45-year-old Iraqi Christian man was fatally stabbed while conducting a religious live stream from his home, with authorities launching a homicide investigation into the targeted attack.
Ashur Sarnaya, a wheelchair-bound member of the Assyrian-Chaldean community and regular congregant at Saint Ephrem Church, was attacked during one of his evening social media broadcasts discussing Christianity. The assailant struck him in the carotid artery before fleeing on foot.
A witness captured video footage showing a hooded figure in dark clothing leaving the scene, which has been provided to investigators. The Lyon prosecutor's office has opened proceedings for "intentional homicide."
Sarnaya, who had resided in Lyon with his sister for approximately a decade, regularly faced online threats due to his religious content, which often included discussions about his faith and critiques of Islam.
The victim's sister was shopping when the attack occurred. Friends monitoring the TikTok livestream alerted her when they noticed something was amiss during the broadcast.
"When I returned home, I discovered all my friends had called me repeatedly, telling me to check what was happening. Upon arrival, he was already dead, lying on the ground surrounded by people, police, and firefighters," she recounted.
