PARIS — A shooting left one person dead and four others injured on Friday (23) in Trappes and La Verrière, towns in the Yvelines department, about 30 kilometers southwest of Paris.
The suspect opened fire at people at different points in the two towns, using an automatic weapon from a vehicle, according to French authorities.
The shootings occurred around 10:30 a.m. (Paris time zone, 5:30 a.m. in Brasília), in three distinct areas. In Trappes, the shooter passed by a gas station, a health care facility, and a children’s recreation area, according to the city’s mayor, Ali Rabeh.
In La Verrière, a 12-year-old girl was struck. Her condition is stable. Two men, aged 29 and 49, were also injured. Authorities asked for caution regarding the victims’ details as the tally has not yet been finalized.
The suspect was detained by police and taken into custody. According to a source close to the investigation cited by Le Parisien, the arrest occurred less than ten minutes after the first emergency calls. The newspaper reported that the man had used a STEN-type submachine gun, a model developed during World War II. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, said the weapon seemed to be automatic and for military use.
The French National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) took over the investigation and opened an inquiry for murder and attempted murder in connection with a possible terrorist act, as well as possession of a Category A weapon and terrorist criminal association.
The investigation also considers the possibility that the shootings were motivated by the victims’ origin, ethnicity, nationality or religion. The mayor of Trappes drew attention to the African origin of the deceased and the Maghrebi origin of one of the critically injured, but said he awaits the judiciary to clarify the attack’s motivations.
The French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, stated that security forces and judicial authorities are mobilized. President Emmanuel Macron also expressed condolences for the victims and thanked the police for the rapid arrest of the suspect.
