One Killed, Five Injured in Suspected Racist Shooting in Paris Suburbs

A gunman opened fire at three locations in the Paris suburbs, killing one person and injuring at least five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in a suspected racially motivated attack, French authorities said on Saturday. The suspect was arrested less than 20 minutes after the shooting began, and France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office took charge of the investigation.

President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as a “racist terror attack” following a meeting with officials and residents in Trappes, west of Paris. He said the suspect’s statements indicated that the attack had been premeditated.

The shootings occurred over approximately 15 minutes in Trappes and La Verrière, around 30 km from the French capital, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. One victim died, while three of the five injured people sustained life-threatening injuries.

The suspect was identified as Kévin T., born in 1987. Authorities did not disclose his full name. His criminal record included four previous convictions that had been automatically expunged under French law, the prosecutor’s office said.

A search of his car uncovered a Sten-type submachine gun and a canister of tear gas. Investigators also found three gas cylinders and electrical wires connected to a timer in his apartment, which authorities described as a booby trap.

A member of the suspect’s immediate family was also taken into police custody. The victim who died was a French man born in 2000. Authorities said the injured victims’ medical conditions had not stabilised by Friday evening. Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Minister Aurore Bergé said the 12-year-old girl was very seriously injured.

Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the gunman appeared to have targeted passersby, including near a playground, possibly because of their perceived African origin. He described the incident as a possible mass killing motivated by racism and Islamophobia.

The prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation into several offences, including murder linked to a terrorist enterprise, with an aggravating circumstance involving the victim’s actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. The shooting came as France prepared for further protests over the rising cost of living, following violent unrest the previous week.