Northern France Tragedy: Gunman Kills One and Wounds Five in Paris Suburb
A racially motivated shooting spree in Trappes left a child critically injured as officials declared the incident a terrorist act.
By Layla Fontaine ·
One person died and five others suffered injuries in a violent shooting spree in the Paris suburbs on Friday. Authorities have classified the incident as both a racially motivated crime and an act of terrorism. Among the casualties is a 12-year-old girl who was seriously hurt and rushed to a children's hospital.
The attack unfolded around 10:30 a.m. local time. The suspect drove through Trappes and La Verrière, two working-class communities on the northern edge of the capital known for their significant immigrant and Muslim populations. He opened fire with an automatic weapon at a petrol station, a medical center, and a playground. Police detained the 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T., after the rampage lasted approximately 15 minutes.
Local MP Laurent Mazaury stated that the suspect told officers he intended to kill foreigners. Mazaury described the attacker as a racist. French media reports indicate that the deceased, Pengo Bassio Wangi, was a young Black man. The injured included a woman wearing a headscarf and the girl, who was also wearing one. Prosecutors confirmed that three of the five wounded individuals remain in critical condition. The girl's mother revealed her daughter, who is of North African descent, was shot eight times.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez affirmed that investigations are ongoing but declared the event clearly a terrorist crime. Prosecutors are currently examining whether the suspect conspired with a terrorist group. A member of the suspect's immediate family has also been taken into custody. Investigators discovered a World War II-era semiautomatic weapon and tear gas grenades in the suspect's vehicle.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu labeled the case very serious and noted that all security and judicial resources are fully mobilized. President Emmanuel Macron called the incident a racist terrorist attack and a turning point for the nation. He emphasized France's determination to combat racism in all its forms. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh, who has Moroccan roots, said the gunman fired at random and sought to cause a bloodbath. Rabeh described the attack as objectively racist and probably Islamophobic, noting that the victims could have been his own relatives.
The girl's mother expressed anguish to broadcaster RTL, asking how anyone could do such a thing to a child. She questioned whether her daughter was targeted because of her headscarf and stressed that the girl was born in Trappes and has the right to build her life in France. The attack occurs while the country grapples with cost-of-living and student protests, which have often turned violent. Authorities plan to deploy 70,000 police officers on Saturday to manage expected demonstrations.
Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen condemned the shooting as barbaric. However, Muslim groups accused the populist right of fostering hatred through Islamophobic rhetoric. They pointed to Le Pen's proposal to fine women who wear headscarves in public during her presidential campaign. Rabeh called politicians who make negative comments about Muslims criminals. The French Muslim Council blamed promoters of anti-Muslim hate speech, stating they have blood on their hands. Monitors report growing anti-Muslim hostility across Europe, highlighted by a recent European Parliament resolution against Islamist entryism and rising hate crime statistics in the United States.
The incident adds tension to a week already marked by social unrest. While some far-right voices have blamed Muslim youths for the ongoing protests, the shooting has intensified calls for a unified response to racial violence. The investigation continues to determine the full extent of the suspect's network and motives. The community remains on high alert as security forces maintain a heavy presence in the affected areas.
