French President Emmanuel Macron walks with Mayor of Trappes Ali Rabeh as he arrives for a meeting at the town hall.
One person was killed and at least five others, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured in the attacks. The gunman opened fire at three locations in Trappes and La Verrière, about 30 kilometres west of Paris, over a period of around 15 minutes, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. The suspect has been identified as Kévin T, born in 1987. Aurore Bergé, France’s minister for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, said the 12-year-old girl had been very seriously injured.
Authorities have not released his full surname. Authorities have announced tighter security measures following violent unrest last week.
French President Emmanuel Macron called a shooting spree in the Paris suburbs as “a racist terror attack”, saying the victims were targeted because of their skin colour or perceived religion. “These people were targeted because of their skin colour or perceived religion, and for no other reason,” Macron said after meeting officials and residents in Trappes. Macron also said the suspect’s statements indicated that the attack had been planned in advance. He had four previous convictions, which had been automatically expunged under French law, the prosecutor’s office said.
Three of the injured suffered life-threatening injuries. “There is no place for this in France. Major museums are set to close, while the government plans to deploy a significantly larger security presence to prevent further violence.