WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. counterterrorism official says the man suspected in the deaths of seven people in France was on the list of known or suspected terrorists who are prohibited from flying to the United States.
The counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, says the suspected shooter, Mohamed Merah, had been on the no-fly list since 2010.
The U.S. no-fly list includes thousands of known or suspected terrorists. Most of the people on the list are foreign.
Merah was killed Thursday after a 32-hour standoff with French authorities.
The seven slayings, carried out in three motorcycle shooting attacks, are believed to be the first killings inspired by Islamic radical motives in France since the September 2001 attacks on the United States.
