▲ Police investigate the scene of a shooting in Trappes, near Paris, France, on the 23rd (local time). (Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
A mass shooting near Paris, France, on the 23rd (local time) left one person dead and five others injured, including three in critical condition.
French authorities have launched an investigation, treating the incident as a potential terrorist attack targeting immigrants, while President Emmanuel Macron condemned it as a "racist terrorist attack."
According to AFP, Reuters, and the BBC, a man in a vehicle fired multiple shots at people while moving through Trappes and La Verrière, towns located in the western suburbs of Paris, at around 10:30 a.m. that day.
Officials stated that the shooting spree lasted for about 15 minutes.
The National Antiterrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) stated that it is investigating the case as a "murder linked to a terrorist enterprise," examining whether the attack was motivated by the victims' race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also told reporters in Trappes that it was "clearly a terrorist crime."
The suspect fled the scene after the shooting but was later arrested by police.
According to authorities, the suspect is a 39-year-old man named Kevin T.
Local media reported that the suspect had four previous convictions, though his record had been automatically expunged, and he was not on the authorities' watchlist for potential security threats.
It was also reported that an immediate family member of the suspect is currently in custody.
According to witnesses, the gunman drove around the neighborhood in a gray Renault Clio.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the gunman "indiscriminately fired shots to cause carnage," targeting multiple locations in Trappes, including a gas station, a medical facility, and a playground.
Local police stated that the perpetrator used an "older semi-automatic weapon," while the PNAT stated it is investigating the possibility of a "Category A weapon," which includes military-grade arms.
Mayor Rabeh stated that the fatality was of African descent and one of the critically injured victims was of North African descent, adding that the motive behind the crime "appears to be racist, likely islamophobic."
However, investigative authorities urged caution regarding the disclosure of the victims' identities.
Among the injured was a 12-year-old girl who suffered eight gunshot wounds.
The girl's mother told RTL radio that her daughter had to undergo surgery after being shot eight times, asking, "How and why could anyone do this to a little child?"
The woman also questioned whether her daughter was targeted because she was wearing a headscarf (hijab), saying, "She was born in France, in Trappes. She has the right to build her life in France."
President Macron visited Trappes to meet with community leaders, police officers, and emergency responders.
He told reporters, "What happened today is a turning point for our country, because for the first time, a terrorist act has sought to kill our compatriots, our children, because of their skin color or their religion," adding, "Such things have no place in France."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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