One dead and four injured in a shooting described as a "terrorist attack" on the outskirts of Paris

A 26-year-old man was killed and at least four other people were injured (including a twelve-year-old girl) in a shooting at the hands of a 39-year-old man, identified as Kevin T., who fired a machine gun from his car through the streets of Trappes, a city of 30,000 inhabitants on the southern outskirts of Paris. "This is clearly a terrorist attack," declared Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

The Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) took charge of the investigation, while the local mayor, Ali Rabeh, pointed out the possibility that it was "a racist crime", since some of the victims are "people of color" (the deceased man is African and among the injured there are several North Africans). In a statement, the PNAT recognized "the aggravating circumstance" of the victims' belonging "to a certain race, ethnicity, nation or religion."

In subsequent statements, the mayor of the left-wing party Génération.s assured that the incident "constitutes the first attempt at mass crime with Islamophobic connotations in France" and assured that what happened is encouraged by "the political climate" that the country is experiencing after the wave of violence and looting on October 17. "The perpetrator's intention was to cause carnage, it is a miracle that there are not more victims," ​​the mayor added.

"France stands in solidarity with the victims and their families after the gun attack that left one dead and several injured," wrote President Macron on his X account. "Our thoughts are with all the inhabitants of the Yvelines department in the face of this terrible ordeal."

The events occurred at 10 a.m. on Monday. Aboard a gray Renault Clio, the perpetrator fired with his automatic weapon in Place Van Gogh in Trappes, and then in Place Pergaud, and finally at a gas station, in front of a health center and in front of a pharmacy in the neighboring town of La Verrière.

The shooter was arrested shortly after noon in the town of Coignères. Kevin T., who had a police record, had an old British-made Sten MK II submachine gun in his car. In a house search, homemade explosives and tear gas grenades were found.