Teenager from Northern France Charged in Connection with Aubagne School Shooting
A 13-year-old boy from northern France was placed under judicial supervision on Friday following his arrest in connection with a shooting at a middle school in Aubagne, La Voix du Nord reported. French counterterrorism prosecutors charged the adolescent with complicity in attempted murder linked to a terrorist enterprise and terrorist criminal association.
The investigation stems from an attack on Monday morning at Lakanal middle school in Bouches-du-Rhône. A 14-year-old student entered the facility dressed entirely in black and wearing gloves, carrying a firearm hidden in a guitar case. The intervention of the school’s principal advisor, who managed to disarm him, allowed the attack to be brought to an end, according to details provided by the National Antiterrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).
Judicial Supervision and Educational Placement
Following his questioning, the 13-year-old suspect was brought before authorities on Friday. A judge placed the boy under judicial supervision with a mandatory requirement to comply with the conditions of a closed educational center.
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old suspected shooter was placed in pre-trial detention on Wednesday. His defense attorney, Fabrice Giletta, stated his client contests any homicidal intent. Investigators are probing the digital footprint of the main suspect, examining accounts on Discord, Snapchat, TikTok, and Protonmail. According to the public prosecutor’s office, one account was dedicated entirely to republishing violent material related to school massacres.
Investigation Focuses on the True Crime Community
Authorities are examining both suspects’ ties to the True Crime Community (TCC), a North American-born online subculture fascinated by mass killings. The TCC has been linked to previous attacks in the United States, including the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Laurent Nuñez stated on France 2 that security services are monitoring several dozen young people connected to the TCC, describing it as a growing phenomenon in France. However, antiterrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen downplayed the broader threat on Thursday, characterizing the movement as largely marginal compared to other forms of terrorism.