A 31-year-old farmer accused of killing his mother and sister and 12 other rural villagers was charged Friday with murder and attempted murder in France's worst shooting rampage ever.
Bastille Day festivities and traditional balls were canceled in many villages of the pastoral region around Luxiol, 275 miles southeast of Paris, where funeral services were held for the victims. A wreath was laid at a War Memorial, reflecting the depth of the shock that swept across the peaceful rural community after the Wednesday afternoon killings.Christian Dornier, 31, heard a judge read 14 counts of murder and eight of attempted murder at the Besancon hospital, where the suspect was treated for two bullet wounds suffered as he tried to flee police. The hasty filing of the charges on Bastille Day - a holiday for most government officials - appeared aimed at quelling outrage in the villages of Luxiol and Hutechaux over what was described as the worst peacetime massacre in French history.