A deadly shooting near Paris has prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to condemn what he described as a “racist terrorist attack” after a gunman opened fire from a car in the southwestern suburbs of the French capital, killing one person and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl who was reportedly shot eight times.
The shooting took place in Trappes and neighbouring La Verriere, two working-class towns southwest of Paris. Authorities are investigating whether the victims were targeted because of their perceived racial, ethnic, national or religious backgrounds.
Macron visited Trappes following the attack, while the Elysee presidential palace described the incident as a “racist, terrorist attack”. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also visited the affected towns and called the shooting “clearly a terrorist crime”.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the gunman appeared to be firing indiscriminately as he drove through the area. He described the suspect as someone who wanted to cause a bloodbath, saying shots were fired sporadically from the vehicle.
The suspect, a 39-year-old man, was arrested in nearby Coignieres, according to a source familiar with the case. A police source said officers found a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades in his possession.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. They are also examining whether the victims were selected because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
According to Rabeh, most of those injured were of foreign origin. He said the person killed was of African origin, while one of the wounded, who is of North African origin, was in critical condition.
The mayor described the shooting as “objectively a racist, probably Islamophobic attack”, while making clear that investigators would need to establish the gunman’s motives.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the events in Trappes were serious and confirmed that security forces and judicial authorities had been fully mobilised. He also said the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office was monitoring the situation.
In a statement published on Instagram, Rabeh offered condolences to the family and loved ones of the person killed and expressed support for the injured. He said an investigation was under way to establish the precise circumstances of the shooting and the suspect’s motives.
The mayor also announced plans to establish a psychological support unit to assist people affected by the attack as investigators work to determine whether the shooting was driven by racial or religious hatred.
