Macron calls Trappes shooting a racist terrorist attack

One person was killed and five others injured when a gunman fired from a car in the Paris suburbs of Trappes and La Verrière on Friday morning, October 23. The shooting unfolded over about 15 minutes, with attacks reported at a petrol station, a medical centre and a children's playground. Three of the injured, including a 12-year-old girl, remain in serious condition, according to officials cited in reports.

What Macron said

President Emmanuel Macron visited Trappes after the shooting and described it as a racist terrorist attack, calling it a turning point for the French Republic. The French presidency said the victims had been targeted because of their skin colour or religion. Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh described the attack as objectively racist and probably Islamophobic, saying the shooter appeared to be firing at random to cause a bloodbath.

What investigators have said

France's National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Police arrested the suspect in the nearby town of Coignières. French media have identified him as a 39-year-old man, but his identity has not been officially confirmed in the material reviewed. According to police sources cited in reports, he was found with a submachine gun and teargas grenades, and had booby-trapped his flat with gas canisters and electric wires. He was known to police for previous convictions, which had been automatically expunged, but was not on intelligence lists of serious security threats, PNAT said. A member of his immediate family was also taken into custody.

Context

The shooting took place amid high social tension in France, following violent nationwide protests against the cost of living. France's interior minister has announced around 70,000 personnel nationwide for further protests on Saturday, October 24.

What happens next

The anti-terrorism investigation continues, and the formal legal classification of the attack, the suspect's motive and the condition of the injured remain to be confirmed by prosecutors. Further official statements are expected as the investigation proceeds.

📷 Photo credit: Henrysalome, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)