A deadly shooting in two towns west of Paris prompted French prosecutors to open a terrorism investigation Friday, Oct. 23, leaving one person dead and five others wounded.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office is investigating murder and attempted murder connected to a terrorist enterprise. Prosecutors are also examining whether victims were targeted because of their actual or perceived membership in a particular race, ethnic group, nationality or religion.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the shootings took place at three locations over about 15 minutes, The Associated Press reported. He said three of the wounded had life-threatening injuries. La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville said a 12-year-old girl was among those wounded, Agence France-Presse reported.
Prosecutors identified the suspect as Kévin T., born in 1987, and said another member of his immediate family was taken into custody, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors said a search of the suspect’s car found a Sten-type submachine gun and a tear-gas canister. Investigators also found three gas cylinders and wires connected to a timer in his apartment.
President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting a “racist terrorist attack,” Agence France-Presse reported. The French Justice Ministry says the prosecutor’s office was established in 2019 to handle terrorism cases through specialized prosecution. The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have not announced a final finding on motive.
