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Within 24 hours of the Paris shooting, the obligatory flowers were being laid and tourists were taking selfies at the latest terrorist attack crime scene.
Young teenagers poked out their tongues and smiled for their camera moment.
The sun was out, and the famous Champs Elysees was crowded. Most of the shops on the corner reopened by early afternoon. Any traces of blood had been cleaned up.
Other than the hordes of media, and the flowers, there was little to indicate police officer Xavier Jugele had so recently died there.
Several people stopped to ask us why we were there with our camera.
The news had not even had time to spread.
Some suggested the French have grown thicker skins. France has been in state of emergency for two years, and around 230 people have died in terrorist attacks.
Officer Jugele was one more.
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said the policeman was shot twice in the head as he sat in the driver's seat of the police van.
Slain policeman had been at the Bataclan
But it was not the first time Officer Jugele had been at the scene of an Islamic State-claimed attack.
He was among the officers who responded after terrorists killed 90 revellers at the Bataclan concert hall with automatic weapons and explosive belts as part of a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.
Officer Jugele returned to the concert venue when it reopened a year later for a Sting concert.
At the time, he spoke to People magazine.
"I'm happy to be here. Glad the Bataclan is reopening," he told the magazine.
"It's symbolic. We're here tonight as witnesses. Here to defend our civic values.
"This concert's to celebrate life. To say no to terrorists."
Terrorism a key issue in election campaign
An attack had been dreaded during France's presidential election — but anticipated.
This presidential campaign has been tumultuous and intense, and security and terrorism have been key issues.
It feels brutal to be discussing politics and who might benefit from a terror attack when a man has died.
But this election has been like no other and it is difficult to consider anything without seeing it in the context of who might lead this country.
The next president will have a determining impact not only on the future of France but of Europe.
Marine Le Pen was quick to pounce on the few facts surrounding the attack — that the gunman Karim Cheurfi had been in jail and under the watch of magistrates and judges.
She promised to expel extremists from France if she were to be the next leader.
Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron vowed also to protect the French people.
One of the final opinion polls before campaigning came to a close — by law — at midnight on Friday, showing Ms Le Pen's support had inched up.
Map: Map of the location of the Paris shooting
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, world-politics, terrorism, france