A man opened fire from his car on Friday morning in the town of Trappes, west of Paris, killing one person and injuring at least four others, and police said they were treating the attack as a terrorist incident.1,3,4
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the "very serious events" had happened in Trappes and that the suspected attacker had been "apprehended and placed in police custody." The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office, known as PNAT, said it had taken on the investigation, which appeared to be "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise." Local prosecutors had earlier said they were investigating the shooting as a suspected terror attack.1,3
Police said the man was arrested in the nearby town of Coignières after opening fire around 10:30 a.m. in Trappes and in neighbouring La Verrière. Trappes lies about 20 kilometres, or 13 miles, west of the French capital, close to Versailles. Shots were fired at several locations, including a petrol station, where police officers and firefighters were seen examining the site.1,3,4
Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh wrote on Instagram that "an individual fired shots from his vehicle at multiple people along his path, in Trappes and La Verriere." The reports render the mayor's account in slightly different words: DW quoted him as writing on social media "along his route," while the BBC quoted him as saying the gunman fired at "several people he encountered" on Friday morning.1,3,4
Speaking to the French broadcaster BFM TV, Rabeh said one of the locations where shots were fired was a playground. "It is a miracle that there were not more victims," he said. He also said the person killed was of African origin, and that one of those critically wounded was of North African origin.4
Reports in French media suggest the number of injured may be higher and that a 12-year-old child may be among them. The death toll could change, France 24 reported, because emergency services were still working at the scene. The reports do not name the person who was killed or the man police arrested.1,3
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the attacker appears to have used "an automatic weapon." DW quoted him as saying the weapon appeared to have been "a military-grade weapon, or at least an automatic weapon." The PNAT said its investigation also includes "possession of a Category A weapon" and "conspiracy with a terrorist group for the purpose of preparing crimes against persons."1,4
DW reported that police are investigating a possible racist motivation for the attack, while the BBC and France 24 described the case in terms of a terrorist or terror investigation. The reports do not say what the suspect's motive was, and none has been confirmed by authorities in the reports.1,3,4
French President Emmanuel Macron shared his "deep emotion" and his thoughts for the victims. "In this terrible ordeal, the nation stands by their side," he said.1
The BBC's related coverage listed recent rioting across France, a curfew imposed in parts of central Paris and other cities, and an admission by the interior minister that police "lost control" in some cities. The reports do not link that unrest to Friday's shooting.1
Emergency services remained at the scene, and the PNAT and local prosecutors are continuing their investigations. Writing on X, Lecornu said the case was "very serious" and that "all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised."1,3
