International Man of Enrichment

The 29-year-old who shot and killed at least two people and injured 13 others at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, northeastern France last night, was well known to police and security services in no less than three countries.

Cherif Chekatt, who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' - meaning 'God is Great' in Arabic - as he opened fire on the crowds, is known to be part of Islamist networks in Strasbourg and has a lengthy criminal record which includes 27 convictions as well as lengthy prison sentences in Germany, France and Switzerland.

The French secret service had been warned that he had become radicalised in prison, and placed him on a designated 'threat to the state' watchlist in 2015 - but this had not been communicated to German authorities who jailed him for burglary in 2016.

He was likely planning something big but a police raid triggered a premature Jihad episode.

Yesterday morning, police searched his flat in connection with a different crime, and found an arsenal of weapons including a grenade, but Chekatt was not at home at the time of the raid, and would later go on to kill and maim more than a dozen people.

France is in serious need of common sense grenade control.

A manhunt is now underway for Chekatt, who managed to flee the scene in a hijacked taxi after being shot in the arm during an exchange of fire with French soldiers in the city centre.

He's a good Muslim boy. He could've been an airplane pilot!

The suspect's criminal record includes 25 court convictions, including many for armed robbery, and he had frequently been locked up.