Madeleine bombing

On March 15, 1894, the anarchist militant Desire Pauwels attempted to bomb the Eglise de la Madeleine. He targeted the church as a potent symbol of both the Catholic Church and the Parisian bourgeoisie. The explosive device detonated prematurely at the entrance of the building before he could properly position it. The blast killed only the attacker, who was so severely disfigured by the explosion that forensic experts had to be brought in to identify his remains. Pauwels died shortly after the detonation from a gunshot wound to the head, which investigators believed was a self-inflicted act to avoid capture by the police.