Macron Denounces Paris Suburb Shooting as Racist, Terrorist Act Targeting Children

A gunman has killed one person and injured five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in a shooting incident in a Paris suburb. French President Emmanuel Macron has characterized the attack as both "terrorist and racist." Speaking to reporters, Macron stated, "What happened today is, I am telling you, a turning point, because it is the first time we have had a terrorist act that was planned to kill our compatriots, our children, based on the colour of their skin or their religion."

The shooting occurred earlier on Friday in Trappes, on the outskirts of Paris, where the gunman reportedly fired an automatic weapon at a petrol station, a medical center, and a children’s playground. Officials have arrested a 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T. His family surname was withheld, a common practice in French criminal inquiries.

This incident takes place amid heightened tensions in France, following nationwide protests that turned violent last Saturday and with further demonstrations anticipated this coming weekend. The shooting follows accusations from some far-right politicians blaming immigration for looting and vandalism that occurred in several French cities on October 17.

President Macron indicated that the gunman specifically targeted individuals based on their skin color and appearance. The anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, known as PNAT, has launched a formal investigation into the shooting. PNAT has the authority to assume jurisdiction over any criminal investigation deemed to meet terrorism criteria, including acts inspired by far-right ideologies, which carry stricter penalties and grant counter-terrorism forces expanded investigative powers.

Broadcaster BFM reported that the wounded girl sustained eight gunshot wounds and remains in serious condition. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh, whose parents are from Morocco, condemned the shooting as "racist" and "Islamophobic." Rabeh commented, "The people targeted today could just as easily have been my mother, my brothers or my sisters-in-law," and urged a collective denunciation of rhetoric that "ideologically arms those capable of carrying out such acts." Nicolas Dainville, the mayor of nearby La Verriere, described the suspect as "of a European type." Rabeh noted that two of the victims were of African and North African origin, respectively, without specifying the backgrounds of the other injured individuals. Video footage from the scene showed the suspect’s car heavily damaged by bullets.