Emmanuel Macron calls Paris suburb shooting a 'racist terrorist attack' after one killed, several injured

French President Emmanuel Macron has described a shooting in a Paris suburb that killed one person and injured five others as a ‘racist terrorist attack’. Macron called the incident a turning point in the life of our Republic and our nation, describing it as the first random racial killing of its kind. The shooting took place over approximately 15 minutes, with the attacker reportedly firing from a car in Trappes, south-west of Paris, before continuing to nearby La Verrière. The gunman appeared to target people of migrant origin before being arrested.

Three of the injured victims, including a 12-year-old girl, remain in serious condition. During a visit to the scene in Trappes, Macron said the victims had been targeted because of their skin colour or religion. He urged the public not to give an inch in the face of what he described as ideologies taking root. The motive behind the attack remains unclear. However, France's National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said the incident appeared to be murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.

French media have identified the suspect as Kevin T. According to PNAT, the 39-year-old had four previous convictions that had been automatically expunged. Local media reported that the suspect was known to police but not to France's intelligence services. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office told BFMTV that he was not on a list of individuals considered to pose a serious threat to French security. PNAT also confirmed that a member of the suspect's immediate family circle had been taken into custody on Friday.

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Shooting spree across two towns

Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said that an individual fired shots from his vehicle at several people he encountered on Friday morning. According to witnesses, the gunman drove through several neighbourhoods in a grey Renault Clio, firing at people along the way. Rabeh said the attacker had fired randomly with the apparent aim of causing as many casualties as possible... he wanted to cause carnage, he said.

The mayor said the victims had been targeted at a petrol station, a medical centre and a playground in Trappes before the suspect drove towards nearby La Verrière. A police union official said the suspect was detained in La Verrière on the main N10 road that runs through the town. The attacker reportedly travelled along a main road, intermittently firing through his car window.

Twelve-year-old girl among the injured

The mother of the injured 12-year-old girl told French broadcaster RTL that her daughter had suffered eight gunshot wounds and required surgery. "How could anyone do this to a child?" she asked. The mother said her daughter had been wearing a headscarf at the time of the attack and questioned whether it had made her a target. "She's a child who was born in France, in Trappes. She has the right to live in France, to make her life in France," she added.

Anti-terror investigation underway

A local police chief told BFMTV that the suspect had used an older-style semi-automatic weapon capable of firing in bursts. Le Parisien reported that the weapon dated back to World War II. PNAT said its investigation also covers possession of a Category A weapon, a classification that includes military-grade weapons and firearms capable of firing in bursts. The anti-terrorism office added that investigators are examining possible conspiracy with a terrorist group for the purpose of preparing crimes against persons. Although the suspect has been arrested, authorities have yet to establish the exact motive behind the shooting.