A 12-Year-Old Girl Among Five Injured in Paris Suburb Mass Shooting
A gunman traveling by car opened fire in the western Paris suburbs of Trappes and La Verrière on February 23, killing one person and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl who sustained eight gunshot wounds, hani.co.kr reported. French counterterrorism prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the 15-minute shooting spree, examining whether the attack targeted victims based on race or religion.
Suspect Held as Investigators Probe Motive
French authorities have detained a suspect whom local media have identified as Kevin T., according to Agence France-Presse and the BBC. The French National Antiterrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) is holding the suspect on charges of murder linked to terrorist acts, specifically killings committed on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. Local media outlets reported that the suspect has four prior convictions, though his record was automatically expunged, and he was not listed on security threat databases. One of the suspect’s immediate family members is also in custody.
Eyewitnesses Point to Targeted Victims
Witnesses told the newspaper Libération that the gunman specifically targeted immigrant Muslims during the rampage. The fatality was of African descent, and one of the critically injured victims is of North African origin. Antoine, a 22-year-old resident of La Verrière, told the publication that there was no doubt the attack targeted Muslims, noting that the shooter sought out areas frequently visited by working-class residents, such as marketplaces. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh told BFM TV that the perpetrator appeared intent on carrying out a mass slaughter.
President Macron Calls Attack a National Turning Point
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Trappes following the shooting to condemn the violence. Macron stated that the event marked a turning point for the nation because it is the first time compatriots and children were targeted for their skin color or religion. He emphasized that such acts have no place in France.