Macron calls Trappes shooting a "racist terrorist attack" after one man is killed
A gunman opened fire from a car west of Paris on Friday, 23 October, killing one person and wounding five others, including a 12-year-old girl. French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as a "racist terrorist attack" and "premeditated", according to The Guardian. He went to the scene in Trappes that night.
The shooting began at about 10:30am in Trappes and neighbouring La Verrière, both in the Yvelines area west of the capital. Over about 15 minutes, the gunman fired an automatic weapon at a petrol station, a medical centre and a children's playground. Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh said the man drove through both towns and fired at random.
Rabeh said the man who was killed was of African origin, and that another of the wounded was of North African origin. La Verrière mayor Nicolas Dainville said two of the injured were cleaners of African origin who worked at a school. He said they were hurt when the shooter got out of his car to open fire.
The girl was shot eight times and was being treated in a children's hospital. The prosecutor said the medical condition of the five wounded people was not stable.
France's anti-terrorism prosecutors named the suspect as Kevin T., a 39-year-old man. When police stopped him, they found a Sten gun and teargas grenades in his car. Authorities said he had also booby-trapped his home with gas canisters and electric wires connected to a timer. A member of his family was arrested and taken into custody for questioning.
Prosecutors are investigating whether the gunman targeted victims because of their "real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion". Rabeh said the shooting had "racist, likely Islamophobic, overtones", as Al Jazeera and DW reported.
