One Dead, Five Wounded in Drive-By Shootings Near Paris; Anti-Terror Prosecutors Take Case

A man firing from a car on Friday morning, Oct. 23, killed one person and wounded five others in two western Paris suburbs, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Early reports put the wounded at four. France's National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has taken over the case.

Nuñez said the rampage lasted just under 15 minutes. He called it "clearly a terrorist crime."

What happened in Trappes and La Verrière

A police source said the shooting began around 10:30 a.m. local time. The gunman drove a grey Renault Clio through Trappes, about 13 miles west of Paris, firing in bursts out of the window. He then continued to neighbouring La Verrière.

Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said people were hit at a petrol station, a medical centre and a playground. Nuñez said the shootings took place at three separate locations.

One person died. Nuñez said five others were wounded, three of them very seriously with their lives in danger. Officials initially said four people had been wounded before Rabeh told reporters there were five.

A 12-year-old girl was shot eight times. La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville told AFP she is in stable condition.

Rabeh said the shooter fired "at random, wanting to cause a bloodbath." He called it a "miracle" that more people were not hit.

The arrest

Five officers from the anti-crime brigade stopped the suspect. Nuñez said: "I commend them for their swift response."

A police union official said he was detained on the N10 road in La Verrière. Local media report he was arrested in nearby Coignières. The suspect is a 39-year-old man, according to a source familiar with the case. Local media report he was known to police but not to France's intelligence services.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed on X that the suspect is in custody. He said "all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised." President Emmanuel Macron said "the nation stands with" the victims.

The weapon

The weapon is still unclear. Nuñez said the shooter used "what appears to have been a military-grade weapon, or at least an automatic weapon."

A local police chief told BFMTV it was "an older-style semi-automatic weapon." Le Parisien reports the gun dates to World War Two.

The prosecutor's investigation includes possession of a Category A weapon. That category covers military-grade weapons or weapons capable of firing in bursts.

How the suspect got the weapon is a question investigators will have to answer.

Nuñez was asked about reports that the suspect's home was booby-trapped with gas cylinders. He said: "We have heard those reports. The investigation will establish the facts."

Motive

PNAT opened an investigation for "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise." It carries the aggravating circumstance that the act was committed because of the victim's real or perceived membership of a particular race, ethnic group, nation or religion. NBC News reported that one person was arrested and charged on four counts, including murder and possession of a firearm, based on a statement from the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office.

Rabeh said the person killed was "of African origin" and that one of the critically wounded is of North African origin. He called the attack one with "racist, likely Islamophobic, overtones." He said: "This is probably one of the first attempted mass killings motivated by Islamophobia and racism."

Nuñez has also described the attack as "racist, probably Islamophobic." He told reporters the motive remained unclear.

The prosecutor's office was more guarded about who the victims were. It called for caution on the point. Rabeh said the shooter fired in a "relatively random" manner and that he did not want to say anything "definitive" about motive yet.

Equality and anti-discrimination minister Aurore Bergé said: "If a racist motive is established, I hope that the whole nation will stand alongside the residents of Trappes, La Verrière, and the victims. We cannot tolerate even the slightest racist remark in the French Republic."

The two framings are not mutually exclusive. A gunman can fire at random and still choose where and at whom. The investigation has to show whether the suspect's words, writings or planning point to a target group.

What comes next

The shooting came a day before another nationwide protest over the cost of living. Major museums are closing on Saturday. The government is deploying a significantly larger security presence to prevent a repeat of last week's violent unrest.

Investigators still have to establish the suspect's motive, the weapon's origin and history, and what was found at his home. PNAT said its investigation also covers conspiracy with a terrorist group for the purpose of preparing crimes against persons.