In brief
On 23 October, a gunman opened fire from his car in Trappes, a suburb southwest of Paris, killing one person and leaving five others wounded, including a 12‑year‑old girl. President Emmanuel Macron declared the incident a "racist terrorist attack" and called it a turning point for the Republic. Police identified the suspect, 39‑year‑old Kevin T, who had prior convictions that were automatically expunged, and are investigating links to a terrorist enterprise. The attack unfolded over 15 minutes as the gunman fired intermittently from a grey Renault Clio at random people before being arrested. The incident has triggered calls for vigilance and a united response against hate‑driven violence.
On 23 October, a gunman opened fire from his car in Trappes, a suburb to the southwest of Paris, killing one person and harming five others, including a 12‑year‑old girl.
President Emmanuel Macron has called the attack a “racist terrorist attack” and described it as a turning point for the Republic.
Police say the shooter, a 39‑year‑old named Kevin T, used an older-style semi‑automatic weapon—believed to date back to World War II—and drove a grey Renault Clio through the streets of Trappes and nearby La Verrière, firing intermittently at random people for about 15 minutes before being arrested.
Three of the wounded, among them the child, remain in serious condition after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.
The National Anti‑Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) says the incident is a “murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise,” although the suspect was not on the list of serious threats to French security.
Mayor of Trappes, Ali Rabeh, said the gunman fired “randomly” from his vehicle at people he encountered and that he was “trying to cause as many casualties as possible and carnage.”
Investigators are also looking into whether the gunman acted in conspiracy with a terrorist group to commit crimes against persons.
Following the incident, the mother of the wounded 12‑year‑old told broadcaster RTL that her daughter had eight gunshot wounds and was undergoing surgery.
Emergency services, including police and firefighters, were seen at the petrol station and other targeted locations as the police moved to isolate the area and investigate the gunman’s movements.
Macron urged the public not to give “an inch” to ideologies that root in hate, calling for a united response to this “random racial killing.”
