Paris Suburb Shooting: Macron Calls Trappes Attack Terrorist and Racist
A gunman firing from a car killed one person and wounded five others in two towns west of Paris, and the president says the attack marks a turning point for France
French President Emmanuel Macron called the Trappes shooting in a Paris suburb a terrorist and racist attack on Friday, October 23, after one person was killed and five were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl.
“What happened today was a terrorist and racist attack,” Macron said after visiting the scene on Friday night. He called the attack premeditated and said it marks a “turning point” for France. He added that racism has become part of the country’s “ambient discourse” and urged citizens not to let the attack divide them.
The shooting took place on Friday morning. A gunman drove through Trappes and the neighboring town of La Verrière, west of Paris, and fired an automatic weapon from his car for about 15 minutes. He targeted a gas station, a medical center and a children’s playground.
Police stopped the suspect’s car and arrested him on the N10 road near Coignières. Officials named him as Kevin T., a 39-year-old. Investigators said he was carrying a Sten submachine gun and tear gas grenades. They also said his home had been booby-trapped with gas canisters and electric wires connected to a timer. A family member was taken into custody for questioning.
One young Black man was killed. He was named as Pengo Bossio Wangi. Five other people were wounded. They include a 12-year-old girl who was shot eight times, according to the broadcaster BFM. The mayor of La Verrière, Nicolas Dainville, said she is seriously wounded but in a stable condition. Her mother told the broadcaster RTL that her daughter needs surgery, and she asked whether her headscarf made the girl a target.
Officials said the gunman spared some people based on their skin color and appearance. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, known as PNAT, opened an investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. It is examining whether the victims were chosen because of their real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. The office can take over any criminal case that meets the criteria for terrorism, including violence inspired by far-right ideas.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the man was firing at random, “wanting to cause a bloodbath.” He called the attack “objectively racist, probably Islamophobic,” and said the victims could have been members of his own family. He called on the country to condemn collectively the kind of rhetoric that “ideologically arms” people capable of such violence. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the investigation is continuing but described the act as “clearly a terrorist crime.” Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, condemned the attack’s “abject motive of racism.”
The shooting comes at a tense time. Nationwide protests last Saturday turned violent, leaving public buildings burned and hundreds of shops damaged or looted. More than 2,400 people were arrested. More demonstrations are expected over the weekend, focused on teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings and the cost of living. The unrest has already put the hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and his France Unbowed party under pressure from rivals who blame them for the violence.
The Trappes shooting has sharpened that argument ahead of next spring’s presidential election. Some politicians link far-right anti-immigration rhetoric to the climate of racist hatred, while others point to the unrest in the streets as a sign of a country losing control. Trappes is a working-class town with a large immigrant population, and officials are watching for any further tension there.
Investigators are still working to establish the suspect’s motive and how he acquired the weapons. They have not said whether he acted alone or was linked to any group. Authorities say more information will follow as the inquiry proceeds.
