In brief
A 15‑minute car‑mounted shooting in Trappes and La Verrière left one dead and five wounded. President Macron labeled the incident a racist terrorist attack, calling it a turning point for France. Police arrested a 39‑year‑old suspect with a WWII‑era semi‑automatic weapon linked to a terrorist enterprise. The attacker targeted people perceived as migrants, including a 12‑year‑old girl who sustained eight gunshot wounds. Authorities are investigating the crime as a coordinated racist‑motivated terror attack.
A 15‑minute car‑mounted shooting in Trappes and neighbouring La Verrière left one dead and five injured, and triggered President Emmanuel Macron to describe the rampage as a “racist terrorist attack.”
“It is a turning point in the life of our Republic,” Macron told on‑air reporters, noting it was the first instance of a random, racially‑motivated killing in France.
Police seized a 39‑year‑old suspect, known to authorities but not to intelligence services, who drove a grey Renault Clio in the open‑air assault and fired from a World‑War‑II‑era semi‑automatic weapon. He has been charged with murder linked to a terrorist enterprise.
Among the wounded is a 12‑year‑old girl who sustained eight gunshot wounds and is in serious condition; her mother, who was present at the scene, said the victim was wearing a headscarf.
Local officials say the attacker targeted people they judged to be of migrant origin at a petrol station, a medical centre and a playground before heading into La Verrière on the N10 road.
The National Anti‑Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office is investigating whether the assault was coordinated with a terrorist group and whether the suspect possessed a Category A weapon capable of burst fire.
Macron urged the public not to “give an inch” to the ideologies that apparently underpinned the attack, calling for collective resolve against rising hate in France.
The scene remains cordoned off, with emergency services and law‑enforcement officers overseeing evidence collection and traffic diversion.
